


and then there's you

by zialless



Series: you're my best friend and we're dancing in a world alone [1]
Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Alien!Zayn, Alternate Universe - Aliens, Alternate Universe - College/University, Domestic Fluff, Dumb aliens who don't know how to act like humans!, Fluff and Humor, M/M, Miami-verse, No Smut, football!niall, i wouldve changed his character but i got lazy, just lots of kissing though, not like american football though, typical naked-loving harry
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-06
Updated: 2018-04-06
Packaged: 2019-04-18 01:46:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 39,016
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14202348
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/zialless/pseuds/zialless
Summary: Niall doesn't need the Pentagon ringing him up, or National Security Agency dragging him into a black van to take him to Washington to be tortured for answers. He's seen those shows; whoever doesn't talk, gets the beating. And what's he supposed to say? These aliens who look like humans told me to kiss their prince? He's going to sound like a traitor—especially when there was no threat made.They could interrogate him all they want to get answers; he'll say what happened and that'll be that. Who knows if they'll look like the same humans who they're pretending to be right now? What if they're real humans who actually existed with a life before these aliens jumped in and took their body? Shit, this is like that alien movie Host all over again and he's next.





	and then there's you

**Author's Note:**

> hii!! i feel like i haven't posted anything in ages. but i'm constantly working on things and they're always big projects so it balances out :D big fics = big posting gaps!
> 
> anyway, i wrote this fic in 2015, and said i was gonna post it alongside my art for it. it's 2018 now, tht art i was planning to post for it is gone, and now i've got a new one! 
> 
> this fic is quite different compared to my other one's. something happened in 2015 and idk what, but it made me feel really deep in love. but not romantic love - general love and it was really weird because 2015 happened to be the worst part of my life. besides that, i needed an outlet to write it all out. so here it is: my weird story about learning what love is and what it's supposed to be! enjoy!
> 
> this fic also uses some influences from starfire's culture from teen titans! i won't say how but you'll figure it out. so shoutout to Tamaran lol.
> 
> appreciate comments and kudos :D!! thanks for the support to those who's been keeping up with me. and for those who r just starting...welcome~

Life of his is simple. Depending on the day when he has his first class, Niall wakes up at 10am almost every day except when he doesn't have school. He pisses first before eating breakfast, doing all of that before a shower. Sometimes it's a complex meal with many things from each of the food groups; sometimes it'll only toast and butter for him. Life really can't get any more complex than waking up and going to school. 

He lives just a twenty-minute walk away from school. His friends live close by, but none of them truly spend time outside of school or the neighbourhood unless it's a birthday or a special night. Tonight isn’t special, so they’re all at the campus bar like every other regular Friday night.

For the three years that he's been going to college and its bar, he goes for the cheap beer and themed events. Niall's not one for country nights but there's a mechanical bull he gets to ride and it's fun. They even have ‘Hawaiian’ nights—it's really nothing special but low prices on their fruity drinks and piña coladas, put umbrellas in the drink with a little flower. 

Thankfully during the summer, they’ve decided to keep the bar open for the students stuck in the city who don’t have anywhere else to go. Otherwise, he'll have to pay $22 for a pitcher of beer at some dusty bar half an hour away.

The taste of beer is strong in his mouth; it must mean he's really deep into his eighth glass of brew. He can barely keep his eyes open to know what he's looking at. Long enough when he can make it out, he realized he's been staring at someone. Someone who's staring at him with his two friends both staring at him. Niall turns away with his cheeks all hot—there must be something on his face.

"You've seen a dick or a nipple just now?" Harry asks him to his surprise. His face must be easy to read.

"Yes, Harry." Niall scoffs. "Someone just flashed me their dick in this bar."

"Lucky you." 

He’s not. Luck happens to lucky people—not Niall. Especially when he turns back to face away from the pool table area, one of the friends of the man he was looking at before is right in front of him. His skin was dark in complexion, and his hair is styled to be dreads tied into a ponytail. His clothes look moderately big—especially his jacket. It falls loose over his shoulders. Suddenly, he smiles at Niall and it looks very forced. Terribly forced to the point Niall feels more uncomfortable than ever before.

"Hello." He greets casually.

"Hi." Niall tells him back, hoping he doesn't sound rude.

Short pause. Niall grins. And the man suddenly tells him, "My friend wants you."

"What?" Niall utters out in daze. His eyebrows raise and push towards each other in confusion. Approaches from the past aren't abrupt and blunt like this.

"You are the one they call a leader—a captain of some sorts." He says. “You will be able to help him, yes?”

"Yeah, I guess." Niall shrugs. He doesn't want to take the credit of being a leader when really, his leadership came from Harry's advice to be more caring instead of being assertive and brash towards the football team.

"Come meet him."

That wasn't really what he has going on in mind. Meet him? The man he possibly held eye contact with for a few seconds—the one being blocked by his other friend who's got ginger orange hair and holding a very stoic pout? The man standing behind her looks very calm, yet very attentive all at the same time studying all these people in the bar. He's tan in complexion with shiny, neck-length long, dark hair that could be a mix between black and blue. His features are sharp and pronounced—like his jaw, his cheekbones and his nose. He looks like he's just shaved his face because he's got a clean face and he looks like someone that can grow a fine beard.

He tells Harry he'll be back. This could really just be some school networking. It hardly feels like a booty call with the way his friend's tone sounds so formal and calm, nothing suggestive or lustrous.

"Zhayïn." He says when they arrive at the spot where the two of them are standing. The one being blocked takes his time to turn his attention towards his friend. "This is the one they call captain."

He tries not to laugh. It just sounds really cool, but it's unnecessary to be called captain away from the field. "Niall's fine." 

"You are Niall?" The one who approached him and brought him over asked. "I am Thargriff. These are my—friends? Zhayïn and Yharthajes."

"Siiick." Niall holds his hand out at him. "Nice names." He doesn't know where the origin of their names comes from but all he knows is that it sounds cool when Thargriff says it.

"Sick?" The other friend squinting at him repeats—she's Yharthajes. "Are you sick?" She starts to fully block Zhayïn away from Niall's view. This is a really weird meet-and-greet—the weirdest one in his book so far.

"It's a saying! I'm healthy." Niall tries to explain. Now that he thinks about it, these people don't look like they go to this school at all. "Sick sometimes also means cool."

"Cool is good?" Thargriff asks. He's even blocked Zhayïn away from Niall. 

"Very good." Niall assures them.

"Alright, Niall." Yharthajes starts to move away, uncovering a very grumpy Zhayïn. "Then it would be cool if you can put your lips on my friend's lips.”

"I-I don't know." Niall shrugs. It doesn't feel really special right now to kiss him or anybody. They haven't even talked—Niall isn't going to kiss someone who can't talk to him; or rather someone who doesn’t want to kiss him. Even he needs to start somewhere, like hearing his name from his mouth instead of his friends who keep him aside. "It's all so very sudden."

"Please, you must put your lips on his lips. You call it kiss?" Yharthajes’ just making sure and Niall nods. "I-It’s for science!”

"I—shit. Fine. I'll kiss him." Niall exhales at these two people who look eager for their friend to be kissed. With the annoyance of these people, Niall scowls trying to push both of them away. "Move."

After tonight, he’s grown tired of all the background noise that people call conversations when he just wants to go back and join Harry before he can decide if he's willing to live through the night or call it a night. Besides, the opportunity to kiss someone who can't or won't communicate with him in anyway has its perks. If anything goes wrong like how terrible of a kisser he is, Niall won't have to hear it. 

Aside the casual idea of kissing a complete stranger in a bar, this is really puzzling him. He saw Zhayïn standing right in front of him, looking upset. The longer he stares at him, upset or angry isn’t the word to use. The glisten of his eyes doesn’t show anything but fear. He doesn't look like he wants to be kissed—yet it doesn't look like he wants to change his mind, and his friends are making it a priority that depends on his life.

He holds his shoulder arm as he leans in, gently pressing his lips with Zhayïn's. He didn't kiss back, but at least he can leave after this encounter, and go home—that's what he's decided. He pulls back and stares at Thargriff and Yharthajes who unknowingly pushes him aside and are shaking Zhayïn, speaking something incoherent that Niall can't understand.

But apparently Zhayïn can. "Yes, I can understand you now." He sounds really sweet and soft—a voice that is warm itself. Is that weird of Niall to say? 

He looks at Niall, confusion etched in his eyes, though his face is without expression. "Why did you give your hand before?"

"You shake it when you meet someone new?" Doesn't everyone know this? Everyone must have drank too much tonight. "Are you guys foreign students or something?"

"We are from Iskalag Karrocerise." Zhayïn shows his bottom teeth. Is that his smile? It's horrendous. "I am the prince of the Iskalagan race."

Niall grimaces, the continents and countries of the world whirling in his mind. "Um, I suck at geography, but I know that's not a real place." He shakes his head. "Or a real race."

Saying that, it almost looks like Niall just murdered Zhayïn's pet dog right in front him. "Just because you do not know where Iskalag Karrocerise or who the Iskalagan are, does not mean we do not exist, Ignorant fool.”

"Don't take it personally. I'm drunk so excuse my manners." Niall huffs. "Where is it then?"

"We live about 500 million light-years away in another galaxy. We do not know what you call it but in Iskalag Karrocerise, we call it Eeisoa." 

"Wait." Niall shakes his head. He blinks a few times and his eyes get bigger and they strain at these people standing in front of him. The names of countries come to a halt, knowing time on Earth doesn’t pass so fast as 500 million light-years. Foreign names like Iska-whatnot don’t sound like any kind of familiarity to his ears. Not even cultures that he hasn’t heard before. At the mention of a faraway galaxy, that’s when he knew it wasn’t in his head. He doesn't want to be this person but he's going to be when nobody else is going to believe it. "Are you aliens?"

"You are the aliens, human." Zhayïn replies, looking around, mystified by the laughter and dancing around them that have them cornered away to safety. "We are the Iskalagan."

"What the fuck?" Niall hisses, shaking his hands and stiff fingers at Zhayïn, leaving space in between. A perfect fit for his head so he can squeeze the absurdity out of his mouth.

"What is that word, captain Niall—fuck?" He asks.

"What do you mean!" Niall's about raise his voice. He can't. He shouldn't. It's not right. Everyone will hear and look their way. "Don’t call me captain." He's the captain of the football team, not the human race. That's Obama right there. That must be what they think he is. He’s only a 23-year old college kid majoring in medicine. 

All of the sudden, he's being pushed away again. He really appreciates being thrown around and cut off from the person he's having a conversation with. Realistically, it’s aliens he’s been having conversations with—it's great. He totally planned his night to be like this.

"You do not talk to the prince like that." Thargriff scolds him with irritation. "Address him the right way."

“Prince?” Niall exclaims before he exasperates under his breath, "No. I don't care. I've really had too much to drink because you're not aliens. You guys don’t actually exist so I'm going home. I-I'm going to sleep and you will be gone.” He turns around with his eyes shut and he begins to walk away.

"Oh!" Zhayïn exclaims out. "We shall go with." 

All three start to follow behind Niall. He groans to himself, instantly objecting at the idea as he halts. They walk right into his back, smashing him forward. "Uh no, no, no!" He turns around to look at them. "You go back to your own home."

"It took us one thousand years to get here, you yutz." Zhayïn shakes his head. "And for some reason I cannot go home. My father sent me here with these buffoons who call themselves my guardians and they do not know how to get home either so we are stuck here with you, human."

"What did you call me? Yutz? You're the yutz." Niall shoos them away with his hand. "And _we_ humans didn't ask for you so go call your mothership or teleport back to where you came from." 

Niall leaves it at that. He doesn't fight the three amigos, nor does he even want to acknowledge the fact that they're aliens. He's not in denial; he always thought they would come when the time came. It doesn't seem real to him that they're here than their whole existence not being there because they are. Wherever this Iskalag Karrocerise or Eeisoa is, no matter how far they are from Earth or the Milky Way, these people can find a way home if they found a way to get here.

He doesn't need the Pentagon ringing him up, or National Security Agency dragging him into a black van to take him to Washington to be tortured for answers. He has seen those shows; whoever doesn't talk, gets the beating. What's he supposed to say? These aliens who look like humans told me to kiss their prince? He's going to sound like a traitor—especially when there was no threat made. He should've stuck to his instincts and went home right away when he hit his eighth pint. 

They could interrogate him all they want to get answers; he'll say what happened and that'll be that. Who knows if they'll look like the same humans who they're pretending to be right now? What if they're real humans who actually existed with a life before these aliens jumped in and took their body? Shit, this is like that alien movie Host all over again and he's next.

At least they don't follow him home. He won't be able to handle aliens following him. He's not their ally—they've just mistaken him as some sort of captain. Why couldn't the social President come tonight? They'll like the President more. She's got more power.

His thoughts get heavier with questions and doubts. With him lying on his stomach over his bed, he really wants to figure this all out. He needs to for his own sanity. Answers is all what Niall wants—questions is all what fills his head instead that it puts him to sleep with his clothes still on and teeth not brushed. He's going to regret not ridding the taste of beer from his mouth. He will wake up with the worst flavour in his mouth.

* * *

Like all the other days, Niall wakes up at 10 which isn't so bad, considering he has no hangover; just a slight headache that doesn't make him hate the world this morning. He also has that bad taste in his mouth that makes it hard to swallow; even after brushing. If there's something he's thankful for, it's for not puking with his back on the bed. Looking up at the ceiling, he stares at his light and nothing else.

Yesterday seems like something he made up. He still can't puzzle everything together to figure out what happened, but something did and it involved aliens who called _him_ an alien. Is he the alien or are they? Why are there aliens talking to him in the first place? In reality, they're the aliens when they're the ones visiting Earth. Unless they're invading Earth, then that's another story Niall can't bear to accept, and he'll be the one to blame for humanity's downfall. Maybe that's a good thing. Better go down through the hands or tentacles or claws of an alien race than the fascist and evil ways of the government.

"Hello." A familiar voice greets him. Harry does it all the time—walk in Niall's home and live there like he's paying some sort of rent. Somehow without Niall's knowledge, he has a copy of his key. He should be very bothered but this house solely belongs to him and it gets lonely when no one comes around. The only reason why he gets to keep a whole house to himself with 3 bedrooms and a very small open-kitchen concept in Miami is because of his grandparents who used to live here. Any kind of house, he'll take it without complaints or commentary.

But this time, when he turns his head to the door, it isn't Harry. It's aliens. _The_ aliens from yesterday—or 8 hours ago.

"You!" Niall scrambles around his bed to sit up, hair sticking in different directions. He slept so well he's got the folds of the pillow covering imprinted on his cheeks. "How did you get in my house?" He bellows; both his hands are head-width apart, making it a perfect fit to squeeze his head. They turn into fists instead, shaking at the aliens waving at him. Going to prison for the murder of aliens isn't something he wants to take with him to his grave but he’ll do it if they think they can brain blast him.

It was Zhayïn, the Prince of Sheeba and his subjects. They’re the most annoying thing he's ever met. His vision must be replaying something he's been used to or Zhayïn must be wearing Niall's green sweater. His mom bought him that.

"We followed you home." Zhayïn tells him plainly as if it isn’t some kind of offence. “We got in through the front door. Like a regular human.”

Niall groans. It's like talking to a puppy if he could understand it. He wouldn't turn a puppy away. But he'll gladly turn aliens away. "I told you not to." 

"I do not understand." Zhayïn tells him; his expression is neutral and unchanging.

"When someone says no or tells you don't do something," Niall explains slowly. "Don't do it."

"But we need a place to stay." Zhayïn sounds like he's going to start panicking. Yet, his face is still neutral, making it hard to read. "We like it here. On Iskalag Karrocerise, we welcome everyone into our homes. It is called hospitality."

"On Earth, we call  _this_  breaking and entering." Niall laughs drily. "Come on. Keep the sweater but I want you to leave." 

Zhayïn nods respectfully. He co-operated. That was easy and it did not take as long as it seemed compared to the whole situation playing out in Niall's head. "Okay, human—we shall leave. Goodnight."

Niall chuckles. What a goof. "It's _goodbye_ , mate."

He blinks and tells him, "Good-good" when he leaves with his bodyguards following behind. Niall doesn't watch but he hears the door close and he goes back to sleep.

Actually, he just lies there until his stomach starts to grumble.

* * *

Thankfully they don't come back. After a few days, he can't explain how he feels. He just feels like he met regular human beings who forgot how a human being behaves. They're not important, they're just aliens. Besides, at least the Pentagon or National Security won't be calling him up to interrogate him about these other beings when he's made it known that he doesn't want them around. 

There's an urge to tell Harry about these aliens, but then again—he can see Harry already, laughing at him because Harry doesn’t believe in them. It just explains very well that these far-far-away galaxies hold lots of secrets to them. But Harry should definitely know all about aliens from far away planets—he's one himself. Just kidding.

Being bored at home, google became his best friend for the day. He found out where galaxy Eeisoa is from the amount of distant years it had between Earth—something Zhayïn had told him. On Earth—or here, being a human and what not—they call it The Cartwheel Galaxy. The scientific name is ESO 350-40. The lenticular and ring galaxy itself has a big ring of stars and gas with a massive cluster in the middle, resembling a wheel. It’s located in the southern constellation Sculptor where it’s about 150,000 light years across in size, making it slightly bigger than the Milky Way. Nobody figured there would be aliens there? Hah. N.A.S.A. would be all over this.

Aside delving into his fascination of space and galaxies, he has plans to go grocery shopping since his fridge is just full of impractical items he thought he would touch but never really is going to. Apart from the items like pickles and mayonnaise, the pickles are for Harry and the mayonnaise is for his sandwiches.

He's really happy the grocery store is only a three-minute walk from his house. He can see it already if he steps out—just a cross away and he'll be between the drug store and grocery store. And if he needs anything last minute, like ice cream at 10 in the night, he can run there right before it closes—at most 15 minutes before. He's modest that way.

"Hey young man, where are you off to today?" A greeting he hears every so often doesn't catch him in surprise. 

Everyone has an old lady neighbour that greets them with a smile. Ms. Smith is that old lady to Niall. Most days she walks her Pug Jojo and that's the only time Niall will see her outside. Her age is a mystery—she could be 60 but with her face and very excitable self she could be 30. Moral of the story is, the eyes lie a lot.

"Across the street to do some shopping." Niall grins as nice and polite as he can. "Do you need anything picked up?" Maybe some dog food for Jojo here who's drooling at Niall.

She starts to laugh. "No no. I'm good. Just saying hello. I haven't seen your face in a long time."

Niall shrugs. "Been held up at home."

"Oh!" She blurts out. "You should've seen what was happening! These strange people were wandering about around your house and sleeping on your yard. Be glad I called the police."

"Strange people?" Oh no. It couldn't be. Please.

"Three of them, looking lost as ever." She shakes her head. So is Niall internally. 

He bites his lip down as Ms. Smith bids him goodbye so she could walk Jojo around the neighbourhood. He heads back inside his house where he starts to let out the stress he's kept bottled in by groaning and hiding his face behind his hand. It feels like it’s entirely his fault that they’re behind bars. If only he let them stay, just until they find a better place to live in than his house; at least to keep their mouth shut so they don’t tell authorities they’re aliens and that they spoke to Niall. At the same time, they’ve got one thing coming to them for invading his privacy. There was just something so aggravating about them. He can’t think straight now—even when Niall tells a group of aliens to leave him alone, they land themselves in jail for trespassing his property and this somehow has happened blindly behind his back. 

It's the kind heartedness that he was raised to have by his parents that make it really conflicting for him. Niall shouldn't have this sense of moral to help aliens out—they're nobody important to care about. Even thinking that now, Niall can't really accept that that's the way he's thinking right now. If the aliens could read his mind, they would really hate him and somewhere in his heart, he really doesn't want them to hate him.

He's already changing his plans to go grocery shopping and letting his conscious talk him to driving to the police station while he wants nothing to do with these aliens. Pacing around leads him one step closer to his house keys which he has settled right by the door, the shoes he'll wear, and the hat he'll put on that hangs right over his shoe rack.

* * *

If Niall has a book written about this, it would be called Adventures of Niall's Babysitting—starring Niall himself with real life aliens who can’t live as typical human individuals to save their lives.

The police station is busy but this is Miami they're talking about; he has to at least be satisfied that something's being done around here.

An officer leads him to the cells, where there's a whole entire group of ten divided into two for both cells to be equally occupied. Something must be happening in Miami these days or the police are increasingly abusing their power.

"Captain Niall!" Thargriff holds the cell bars, roaring at the brunet man with his arms folded at them. "Help us out."

"Well, well, well." Niall tuts with a smirk.

"Don't good good good me." Thargriff huffs through his nostrils.

Niall did say to leave his house. There was nothing said about sleeping outside. That's in the law's fate to decide and they did.

"We are locked in here and the prince is furious." These aliens are complicated as it already is.

"What happened exactly?" It's not his business to care. He didn't want it to become his business. All Niall wanted was beer and a fun time—not an alien babysitting gig that would eventually turn against him and he’ll find himself held up in a metal room 40 floors below the earth with the CIA and NSA hounding him.

Rushing towards the bars, Yharthajes holds them like Thargriff. "We took a long slumber on your yard and a lady told on us." 

Niall huffs, pressing his fingers on his temple. They were sleeping on his front yard? How did he not notice this through the past 3 days at all?

Thargriff tells him with a calm voice. "We cannot stay here and the prince certainly cannot be confined in here. We promised we would take care of him. We would need a house. Do you have a house?

“Yes. It's _my_ house. Not for sale.”

“Can we live there?”

“That means I have to take care of you.”

"The prince trusts you. He said you will come and you did! How he knew, I do not know. Maybe because he is so intelligent." It doesn't sound much of like an order than the way Thargriff says it. He's not sure if he's supposed to feel honoured or special. No one on Earth really cares about alien monarchy. No one even cares about monarchy here.

Niall sighs. How could the Prince of Sheeba say such a thing when the only thing he knows of Niall is his name? "I'm flattered but you aren't my responsibility."

"Please. He has nowhere else to go. He is not impressed by Yharthajes and I." He stresses and it's working against Niall very easily. Zhayïn is sitting alone in silence with his arms crossed, staring down at something. "We have to help the prince."

It took nearly an hour for the charges to drop considering they don’t have any records of them on the database, but they were on their way out with a plain face. If that's their reaction of being released from jail after staying there overnight, he shouldn't have helped them at all. Although, Yharthajes and Thargriff look quite happy being free as they dance through the parking lot.

“You are an adorable creature.” Zhayïn observes out loud, grabbing Niall’s attention where he’s grimacing at the alien. “Like a little baby gecko. Reminds me of a keby.”

Niall hates lizards. He had a bad experience where one fell on him once. “Wait, what’s a keby?”

“It is a term of endearment, hard to explain. It is a very good name. It is like when humans call each other honey or little infant.”

“Baby?”

“Yes!” Zhayïn exclaims softly. “But not quite. It is also a feeling. A good one. Like when I look at you and I feel like I am at rest.”

“Dead?” That doesn’t sound too good, looking from the perspective of someone who wants to be alive.

“Rest. Not dead. Dumb keby.”

* * *

As soon as they arrive home, Niall sat them all down on his sofa. He stood over them, analyzing all of them carefully with a sober mind. They look human, they sound human, they're speaking human languages, but he’s fully aware that they're not human.

If there's one question he really wants answered, it'll be: "What do you really look like? Do you guys have green skin and beady eyes?”

"Do you think we have green skin?" Yharthajes sounds insulted. "He thinks we are the Martians..."

"Maybe." Niall shrugs. "Remember, this is my house. If you wanna stay here, I want the truth." 

"You cannot handle the truth!" Thargriff stands up, pointing his finger at Niall.

"Good one." Yharthajes nods approvingly at him. 

"I got it from an Earth show. One of the guards was watching it on his mobile device."

Niall narrows his eyes at the two glorifying an overrated quote used on and on in movies and shows. Thargriff mentions he heard it through a human watching the show and got the quote from there. It explains their fascination.

From the corner of his eyes, Zhayïn was changing in his seat. Niall's face was getting tighter the longer he watched Zhayïn transform into something unrecognizable, making Niall uncomfortable.

Human eyes don't glow gold like Zhayïn’s; and they certainly don’t have four of them with two on each side with one on top of the other. He has no visible pupils, so Niall can’t tell where he’s looking. Zhayïn’s skin and hair remind Niall of colours from coral reef such as electric blue and cerulean. Everything about Zhayïn left Niall speechless, from his skin to his hair to the little glowing details on him. Humans don't have glowing outlines of their veins and nerves coursing from some sort of cobalt-blue crystal where it's embedded into their flesh, right in the middle of their chest. It must act as their main organ, Niall thinks.

Zhayïn calls it a Vida Pedra. The stone becomes a part of an Iskalagan once they are born. Life and celestial energy resonates within the stone—that's why the veins from the Vida Pedra glow like bioluminescence in darkness. There is nothing out there like it. 

Aside the Vida Pedra, Thargriff tells Niall how Zhayïn is envied by most, adored by lots. Many say he's a God walking amongst the Iskalagan. They all watch the thick flow of his glowing, blue hair and blue stones around his eyes. It was obvious from Yarthajes and Thargriff’s stunned expression that they found him beautiful. But for Niall, he was just stunned at how sharp and long Zhayïn’s ears were. His whole face and head reminds him of a caracal cat.

"Is this what you all look like?" Niall winces continuously at Zhayïn. If he didn't look detached as a human, Zhayïn looks livelier now with his snout that makes him really look like a 4-eyed woodland cat. The patterns running all over his body are completely fascinating as well, spiralling from his fingertips, around his arm until all of them lead back to the stone in his chest. 

"Oh no!" The two servants shake their head with intent. Then Yharthajes starts to exclaim, "The prince is one of a kind! Look at his hair, his slender body, his ears."

"Oh stop it. I am, what the humans say, flat—flattered? " Zhayïn’s hair and nerves and body patterns start to glow even brighter. He picks up Niall's travel book on Spain and boy; his fingers are long and sharp. Staring at Zhayïn, Niall’s finally found what he looks like.

"Well, you look like a giant glow in the dark dryad." Niall blurts out. “With a resemblance to a cat. It's quite frightening.”

Thargriff gasps so loud, it even got Zhayïn to look up at Niall. With his four, shiny, gold eyes. "How dare you?"

"What is the problem?" Zhayïn flips through the book, crossing his legs as he gets more comfortable.

Niall scoffs at the servant. With Zhayïn in his alien form, he really should watch what he says. "Griff, you're making a fuss!" He’s not looking to fight at 9’0 beast with four, 5-inch fingers on each hand.

"Griff? Is this a nicky-name?" He asks. "I have never gotten one before."

"Yes. It can be your human name if you wan—" Thargriff completely yells out something in alien while Niall waits for him to finish.

He scrambles in his coffee table for paper and a pencil. He scribbles down their new names in case they have to spell it out.

"I am Za-ayn?" Zhayïn asks. His skin is turning back to normal. He begins to turn back into a human again; his alien features retract; the veins and patterns are somehow all being pulled back into the stone on his chest as well. He even adds more tattoos on his body this time, keeping the previous ones he had. It's a quick process Niall watches from start to finish.

"Yeah. No difference with your alien name except the spelling. The pronunciation is also slightly modified."

"I am Jesy." Yharthajes announces. She turns to Griff and announced it again. This time, she gives him her hand and it takes Griff a few seconds with lots of hesitation to shake it—or pull it side to side.

Niall leaves them in the living room to talk while he peeps through the bathroom door before peeing. As he shuts the door and stands in front of the toilet, he couldn't believe he took in the aliens and now, giving them names like they can fool anybody they're humans. The only one capable is Zayn and that's because he doesn't talk a lot. But then again, someone will definitely ask why he looks so emotionless and melancholic all the time, or why he’s so stiff.

"Hello." 

Niall scrambles his pants back up, accidentally aiming his piss on the rim of the toilet. "Dude! What are you doing?"

"Sorry." Zayn apologizes and does the opposite of what anyone would have done. He walks in, shutting the door behind him while Niall's still has to piss. "Hello."

"Hi." Niall exhales. Keeping up with him is way too exhausting and he’s only been welcomed into his house for half an hour.

"Hello." He repeats. He pauses long enough Niall decides to urinate again.

Until Zayn opens his mouth again.

"What do we do now?" He asks politely. “Your house lacks the entertainment I need.” Or so it supposed to sound polite.

"Chill." Niall winces an eye at him, knowing there won’t be so much for anyone to do in his house. That’s why he always finds something outside of his house to do.

Zayn tilts his head. "In the freezer? I cannot fit."

"I mean do whatever it is you do at home to entertain yourselves. I'm not gonna do it for you." Niall's going to have to simplify his phrases for them. "Or you can learn how to behave like a regular human being."

"I know how." Says Zayn, and he begins to list out loud," I can cry, complain, and be miserable."

"You've got jokes, huh?" Niall pushes him aside so he can wash his hands.

"Yes. I've got one." Zayn clears his throat quietly behind the back of his hand. Niall watches from the mirror. 

Suddenly Niall starts to grimace with his eyes widening. Does Zayn carry a banana around with him? Did he steal it from Niall’s basket? He has the fruit by his ear, and he stares up as if he's waiting. Niall can already feel where this is going—he just might actually laugh his head off because this looks terrible.

"Hello?" Zayn’s body startles. Then he looks at Niall. "It's for you." And he pushes the banana against Niall's ear.

That's the joke. That's the one Zayn's got practically waiting in his pocket. He pulls his banana back, peeling it from where people usually hold it. Niall isn't even sure if Zayn laughed himself—his face is constantly expressionless; his alien form makes him look livelier. Niall pulls the door open but doesn’t go through just yet; he’s still quite puzzled by Zayn’s demeanor.

Niall grips his shoulder and firmly shakes it. His grin is as dry as the desert for someone who’s trying to be nice, but it’s so hard. "Great joke, Zayn." If it makes him happy, so be it.

"Thank you." He bites his banana and goes on his way to the dining room.

* * *

Just before dinner, Niall finally found the opportunity to go to the store, grabbing things for dinner because he was going to be feeding three mouths tonight. Their diet consists of many things; Jesy came along for the trip to the grocery store and explained how life is on Iskalag Karrocerise when he never really asked her at all. She must have figured out the function of human ears and mouth.

"Why does the planet Earth stink?" Jesy asks him, swinging the basket in her hand as she follows Niall. 

"It smells fine." Aside from the smell of seafood just an aisle away from him. 

"It smells like Ghorspa poo." Jesy snorts when she laughs—literal pig snorting. "They are beautiful, massive beasts that love to eat anything that is red."

Sounds interestingly weird. 

"Truly, you humans really are fascinating." Jesy looks around. "Long hair, curly hair. Different sizes just like us. It's lovely to admire. Especially your poo hair."

Jesy picks through his hair "Hey!" Niall hisses, flicking Jesy’s hand off his head. "You guys are quite terrifying from what I've seen from Zayn."

"You mean the _Prince_."

"Yes, Zayn." That is the Prince, what's Niall saying wrong?

Jesy scoffs at Niall. "We are not terrifying. We like ourselves and admire everyone around us. Your fear and dislike is just an opinion coming out as ignorance."

"Ignorance?" Niall grimaces as he takes two red peppers.

"This term called ugly that you speak of, only exists through behaviour, not appearance." Jesy explains. "There is no such thing as ugly to us.”

"Other aliens must hate you." This positivity barely exists on Earth. And speaking of other aliens, that reminds Niall. "And if there are other aliens on Earth, why do they always go to New York?"

"This New York you’re talking about has 8 million people conglomerated in the area alone which makes for perfect hiding capabilities. But the Iskalagan need the energy of the sun to live. It says in our database that Miami which is in Florida which is here, the sunshine state, has the best flow of the sun's energy. Not too strong, not too weak.”

"That's true." Niall nods. He doesn't want to admit it but talking to aliens is fun. "Don’t take this the wrong way, but how can you survive on this planet?”

"Your planet consists of biological, chemical, and solar energy. Enough to last us some years." Did she just say some years? In the last second when Niall had turned to look at Jesy, he's taking a giant bite out of the red pepper he got.

Niall gasps, snatching the vegetable from Jesy’s hand. Her bite took out the entire half of the pepper. "No! We have to pay first!" 

After that, Niall had to get a five whole packs of sweet peppers for Jesy. If there's one thing Jesy does, she begs a lot—that means she will not shut up until she gets what she wants, kind of like a big, whiny baby. Can he call Jesy a big whining baby or will she cry? Niall seriously doesn't know what kind of humour they have or if they really have any at all. 

Jesy mentioned they only eat things that are grown (everything is grown?) and certain meat and elements—whatever the equivalent of that is on their planet. Nothing too hard on their stomach or they'll be sick and Niall doesn't want to see how an alien is when they're sick. 

They're all so different but one thing is for certain, Jesy and Griff really are keeping their vows to protect their prince. Even when Niall promises there will be no harm against this prince of theirs, the only one who really believes him is Zayn—though he doesn't say anything or do anything, and it's dinner time for all of them so they all have to accept that trying something new takes risks.

Niall made everyone something different which made him quite personally annoyed. Jesy stuck to her stupid sweet peppers; Niall had cut them into sticks just so she can see how many she's eating. She's got about fifty sticks of assorted sweet peppers. Jesy likes the yellow ones especially because it reminds her of Niall’s quaint, little house. 

Jesy isn't so bad compared to the other two. Griff hated his dinner and Niall found out when Griff decided to put his lentil soup in the freezer. Unbelievable; he went for Niall's bread instead. He even started with the first slice—the one no one likes, and he ate through the bag with strawberry jam and nutella. His whole hand scooped the jam and chocolate hazel spread out and smeared it on his bread. Two or three bites, he'd finish it and go onto a next slice.

And how nice was it for Niall to prepare sundried tomato pasta for dinner and give a part of it to the prince? Apparently not.

"Therqui mahmat sokuh." Zayn mutters. “This is not good.”

"What?" Niall huffs.

"He called you a very grotesque animal from Iskalag Karrocerise." Griff takes the salt shaker from the middle of the table and sniffs it. 

"Well, he's a yutz." Niall watches Griff shake salt on his strawberry-nutella sandwich.

Griff looks up in an instant and throws his arm at Zayn's direction. "That is the Prince!" 

"The title doesn't mean anything on Earth. It definitely won’t mean anything to me." Niall tells him coldly. "Now eat the damn thing."

"No thank you." Zayn shakes his head. "I do not have an appetite for this yucky thing."

"How old are you?" Niall scowls at him from across the table.

Even if Zayn is being immature, he’s polite about it unlike many children. Oh, that’s it. "I am 24 Earth years old. On Iskalag Karrocerise, I am 700."

"You sound like a child right now for someone who is 700." Niall folds his hands under his chin. “Are you a child?”

Patronizing Zayn, he doesn’t even look like he knows it’s happening to him. He’s really focused on his unappetizing dinner. What’s so disgusting about it?

"I am young, yes. But like you said, nothing from Iskalag Karrocerise counts on Earth so I am 24 years old and I will have a banana."

"If you don’t eat this, it's just going to waste." It also hurts Niall's feelings for his pasta to be passed off like that and poured back into the pot.

Although Zayn doesn't get the banana like he wants, he stays seated in his seat with his hands over his lap. "Food does not go to waste, does it? Someone else just enjoys it instead of I?”

Niall notices silent head shaking from Zayn's friends, eyes begging for him not to tell the truth. Whatever is happening on their planet, it's different from Earth. There are similarities between different life forms and this is one of them. "By enjoy, you mean they throw it away. You’re wasting energy that could have been used by someone else at a different time.”

"Niall!" Jesy scoffs, shaking her head in disbelief. She looks at Zayn. "We are not lying, my prince. Do not listen to the human; you do not have to eat it. W-we shall eat it for you.”

When Niall looks at Jesy, he could almost see her ready to gag.

He rolls his eyes as he looks at their faces repulsed by his pasta. "Waa waa waa." Niall starts to mock a crying child. That's what they sound like to him—a crying child who can't get what they want. Between the conversation and arguments, Niall's already finished his dinner, and ready to fuck off to his room where it’s the only place in his house these aliens won’t pester him.

He's getting out of his seat and putting everything he used in the sink. Why would he bother with them anyway? They're only here to stay and hide. There is nothing else he should do. This is the only way he's helping them and from what he can tell by his other attempts, he won't push any more. It will only frustrate him. He’s already frustrated at himself for breaking them out of jail.

* * *

His life now is turning into shit, especially when Niall's really good at the silent treatment which leads to an influx of questions and whining. To fight against it, he makes plans to go out a lot with his friends just so he can avoid being home with the aliens. He and his friends are at the beach a lot, playing volleyball and running to the water just to cool down before they can expose themselves under the sun and heat again. 

If they aren't at the beach, they'll be around Bay Ridge over patios with fruity drinks and beers. Anything to keep Niall away from his house. He's not going to let three aliens living in his house mess his life.

Right when he gets home, it's no different than the other days that he avoids their presence when he heads straight into his room. They're unbelievably hard to ignore when they always yell his name and run after him. Then there’s Zayn who has no sense of what boundaries and privacy are since it seems like he’s always breaking into Niall's room whenever he feels like it. He reads Niall’s books and eats his bananas. That's the only thing Zayn actually eats—bananas, apples, and aluminum tinfoil. Even with their irritating habits, he gets lots of bananas and tinfoil for Zayn, bags of peppers for Jesy, and bread, strawberry jam, and nutella for Griff. He leaves it all out for them on the table, and eats his own dinner in his room.

His life was fine without them. What more can you do in Miami than hit the beach and clubs around here? His life would only become busier during the school year and that's when it's really fun without midterms and assignments. Summer just gives him an excuse to sleep in.

When he goes to his room, Zayn's there—his real form, just inches away from touching Niall's ceiling. Niall's a dwarf compared to Zayn. He usually ignores his presence, and goes around his room without talking to him.

“Is this you, keby?” Zayn’s looking at a photo from the pile Niall pushed aside on his desk. There were more of Niall and people who looked just like him, also the tall companion he saw Niall with the first night they met.

“Don’t touch that.” Niall jumps high enough to grab the photo out of Zayn’s hands. And what did he call him again? Keby? Zayn really needs to stop calling him these names.

“How come?”

He knew he didn’t have a real reason to counter Zayn with. With all his four eyes and small mouth, it was hard to look at him and continue giving him a cold shoulder. “That one was me when I was younger. The rest are my family.”

“Where are they?”

“Back home.” Niall’s lips twist off to the side as he packs the photos together, neatly patting them until they’re evenly set enough to put in his drawer.

“They must miss you.”

“I guess.”

It would be easy to ignore Zayn if he doesn’t ask so many questions or wander around his room so much, digging through what he spends his time cleaning and trying to keep neat. Including his bookcase, it follows a system and Zayn’s gone and plucked books and left them lying around everywhere in his room. He didn’t ask about the book he found in his pillow.

"Do you have any more books?" Zayn asks, letting his finger touch each spine of his books in his shelf. "I like the ones with drawings."

Niall rests his eye lids lower over his eyes. "You're talking about my comic books?" Those are the ones Zayn should really be careful with.

"Yes." Zayn tip toes around Niall's room, trying not to hit his head on the ceiling or let his tail whip things over. "I like the thing called Nightcrawler."

"You look like him." Niall shrugs. "Except you're taller and shinier. Can you teleport?"

"No, but the watery liquid of my mouth can make cuts better."

"Uh..." Niall grimaces. "Anything else?"

"The Iskalagan can only physically adapt themselves to their environment. Our Vida Pedra allows us to do so. Once we understand the elements of the planet, our bodies become the planet's suitable creature for survival according to the likeness of our abilities and minds." Zayn turns to wander around Niall's room, slapping Niall's face with his tail as he moves.

These stones must be really important to them for their species to be able to morph into physical beings in their will and use it to adapt, meaning they could live on forever.

"Although, humans have poor sense of comprehension, hearing, and eyesight, I do not understand why the Vida Pedra have chosen you as suitable beings to live as or why the gods and scientists of Iskalaga care for you."

"Well, thanks so much for that." Niall rolls his eyes. His cheek feels really cold; right on the spot where Zayn's tail hit him.

"You are welcome, keby." Zayn turns his head to Niall's bookshelf again. And once again, sarcasm is taken into literal context. This could get tiring. 

Niall watches Zayn from behind; he might be right about the human's capability to comprehend. They are slow, but that's because they analyze before making conclusions. He still can't get used to his dark midnight skin with veins, patterns, and stones that glow bright. There must be something he's giving up to be able to turn back in his original form on Earth.

* * *

If Zayn can turn back into his original form, so can Jesy and Griff. The two are way bigger than Zayn that they duck around the house so their heads don't hit the ceiling. Sometimes it gets terrifying when they're all in their original forms and talking in their native tongue. That's not what's terrifying—what's really terrifying is when Griff claps when he laughs and it's shaking the house. Jesy can't control the movement of her tail so she's always knocking and hitting stuff over.

Jesy is an orange Iskalagan whose colours resemble more of the sun. She's got stones like amber and citrine down the side of her arms and her hair is braided into two pigtails with her bangs hanging out loosely. She's got the same features like Zayn and Griff but you can tell who is who. 

And then there's Griff. His skin is like the colour of lavender, his hair a deep purple. It isn't stiff as Zayn or Jesy’s hair, and it's even prettier as well. His thick braids are tied around the middle; though it's still long and full. If anyone squints hard enough, they can see crystal dusts in his hair that make it shimmer purple under light. Their planet must be big with crystals, light, celestial energy, and matter that humans may not be able to comprehend. 

Often, there are some crystals lying around the floor—just small specks that look mesmerizing.

"Hahaha!" Griff began to laugh. "He's got my booger!" 

"Ew!" Niall drops what he's got between his fingers, watching the speck of a clear crystal clatter on his floor. "That's so gross!"

"The human is funny." Jesy’s laugh slowly quiets down.

"No offence but you guys stink." He can't explain what smells but it's toxic to his eyes, he can almost cry. "Don't you know what a shower is?"

“Yes, I know the shower. That is a human ritual. Us Iskalagan can use our tongues.” Griff shakes his head. "But it seems like the tongue's cleansing properties are too weak for our human form. Humans are very dirty to the point our tongues burn when we lick ourselves.”

"I'm taking care of giant cats?" Niall mutters under his breath.

"What is a cat?" Jesy asks.

"They are pets of the humans." Zayn explains, reverting back to his human form. 

"Is it tasty?" Jesy asks.

"No!" Niall shouts, and points towards the bathroom. "Zayn, take a bath! You guys smell like burnt garbage.”

"Okay." He replies. Zayn is the most cooperative one without backtalking out of the three.

The other two line up outside the bathroom door. Little do they know how long a bath takes; they'll be standing there the whole time. That's a good thing—there won't be funny business from them and it'll be a quiet afternoon.

He hears his name from inside. Zayn's calling him repeatedly, monotony and endlessly. Jesy and Griff look at him, urging him with their heads to go in.

"Nia—" Zayn calls, and the door bursts open.

"What, Zayn?" He barges in the washroom. If Zayn barges in anywhere he likes, so can Niall.

He's sitting in the middle of the tub, legs crossed. The sound of dripping comes from the drops of water from his hair. "Help." He holds out a cloth.

Niall sighs, taking the wet cloth from Zayn's hands. He gets soap on it, rubbing the cloth with both his hands before he slaps it on Zayn's neck and starts to scrub. 

"You know," Niall pulls the cloth back and forth around his neck. "If you think about it, you're way older than me and can do this on your own." If Zayn turned into his alien form, he'd break the tub.

Zayn tilts his head back and watches the ceiling. "Back home, my servants clean me." 

"After this you're going to do it yourself." Maybe sooner. They all went nearly a month not showering. "Because I'm not your servant."

"Okay, keby." Zayn agrees, still blinking and staring at the ceiling. "You are our alien friend Niall from Earth."

Niall laughs quietly, moving the cloth down his shoulder and arm. "You guys are weird."

"I am no guy." Zayn tells him.

Guy isn't something Niall uses on one gender. He tends to use it for everyone like people do these days. “Then what are you?”

"The Iskalagan do not have gender coding." Zayn explains. "It is non-existential to us. Instead, we identify ourselves through our abilities.”

Zayn goes more in depth with it as Niall washes him in the tub. He tries to tell Niall in the simplest way that there are three identities that mainly correspond with Iskalagan's colour. Purple Iskalagans are called Tivoet, and have healing and elemental-manipulation properties in their gene, along with enhanced learning abilities. Orange Iskalagans are called Serad, and they have aggressive properties that give them enhanced dexterity and agility, making them better fighters and thinkers. Blue Iskalagans are called Bular, and they are a hybrid of both Tivoet and Serad, which makes them nearly superior beings in their planet.

But just because their genes say all of that, doesn’t mean it's active. For example, just because Zayn is a hybrid of both Tivoets and Serads, doesn’t mean he's a master at fighting and Echamay (Alchemy). And Griff may be a Tivoet but he does not do any Echamay or find any interest in it. Sometimes, it’s one or the other, or even none at all. All Iskalagans have the genetic potential to unlock their abilities. However, most genes are dormant, and offer no significant effect.

"That's cool." Niall nods.

"It's good-good."

Good-good from Zayn means really well or in quicker words, Zayn is content he's in a mutual agreement. 

Niall's studying him from the sidelines, listening to how he talks and the way he says things, what he thinks is funny and what doesn't. It's hard to decipher without his expression but his face is getting softer and he sees him looking surprised from time to time.

* * *

Since school started, Niall's been out a lot again. At first it was just to avoid the aliens until Niall got to know them enough that he can't change who they are. He stopped constantly inviting everyone somewhere and went out only when he was invited which was once a week. Enough to satisfy his needs and wants. 

But it's school and the trio really needed to get out of the house. He was sweeping and vacuuming way too many crystals off the floor and sofa. As pretty as they look, Niall doesn't want to know what they are.

From what he knows, Zayn's backpack is full of bananas and he can’t live without eating tinfoil for a few hours for some reason, Jesy’s got lots of clothes in her's for some sort of reason, and Griff—like a normal student would have—has books in his backpack. And then there's him—one pen, one pencil, two notebooks, and clothes for the gym. 

"Just stay in the cafeteria while I'm in class. It'll be done in three hours." Niall advises. "Or places where you can just chill, okay. Try not to attract attention to yourselves."

"Okay, Cap." Jesy salutes to him before all three walk off.

His class is on the other side of the school and all he's thinking about is the food spots they've got upgraded. They have a burrito spot now, and he can get one before class starts and eat it in the back.

He waits in line behind a few people, turning his head left and right to see the other lines. Not long he looks behind him from the corner of his eye and notices Zayn standing right behind him.

"What did I say?" Niall huffs. His stomach grumbles afterwards.

Zayn doesn't give him an answer and blinks at Niall as he holds his backpack straps.

"You wanna sit in class for three hours and listen to a lecture?" He'll probably benefit a lot from his classes in Psychology and English anyway. It's just the first day anyway. No one would ever even know who's in their class. Not like it's a big deal that someone is sitting in a class, just listening in a lecture. A lot of people do it.

It's settled from Zayn's silence and staring that he's going to class with Niall. He looks back in front of the line again.

"Don't go disappearing on Jesy and Griff." Niall tells him, turning his head to the left so Zayn can hear him clearly. Who knows what would happen? "If something happens to you, it'll be on their heads."

Niall looks in front again, and his shoulder ends up being knocked against. Zayn is standing beside him, still holding his backpack straps.

"I am with you. I am safe, keby." He says.

That's true in some ways until aliens from Zayn's planet or race starts coming to Earth to look for him and they find Zayn with a potential enemy, and Niall won't have any means to protect himself so he isn't safe with Zayn. That's just worst case scenario.

Then there's a hand patting his head. It could be no other person than Zayn.

* * *

The title captain came back to life when they start training for football. For real this time; the title doesn’t count when the three musketeers call him Cap which they do every so often. The one exercise they got to focus on is the groin—it's possibly the worst pain anyone can put themselves true. That would because they don't stretch a lot. That's always a problem in his team. Someone ends up sitting out during the games because they've pulled a muscle or gotten cramps.

Niall doesn't ask about Zayn's habit of leaving Griff and Jesy when he's supposed to be with them. They probably know where he goes and not worry and fret about it at home. Where he goes is wherever Niall goes. 

Zayn has been to his classes and his sport practices. During class, he sits there in silence, listening without even moving or fidgeting. He's stiff as a beam, as if the lectures hypnotize him, and he's able to snap back to reality once the three hours are over. Sometimes, Niall doesn't even know what happens throughout the three hours. He falls asleep and is shaken up by Zayn at the end.

The first time he fell asleep, he woke up an hour after class with Zayn reading his textbook. Why didn't he wake him up right after class was finished? Zayn didn't know to, so after telling him the first time that if class is over and Niall's asleep, Zayn needs to wake him up. He doesn't want to be asleep long enough the lights are off.

During football practice, he sits at the bench with the cooler. If he's bored, he'll fill all the cups with water and lay them out on the bench. The coach might have made Zayn their unofficial water boy. 

Niall wanted to scare him in the nicest way possible. His kicks are accurate and he can see it curve against the wind. Everyone had their own ball and the team wasn't doing anything with it but keep-ups while the coach was socializing with the team manager. 

Niall kicks his ball towards Zayn; he aims it at the cooler in hopes that it would startle Zayn if it knocked the cups over. Niall would think with Zayn's back turned he wouldn't notice a ball going at him. But all he did was turn and catch a kick with his bare hands, the ball right between his hands.

Zayn wasn't finished. He held the ball in front of him without hesitancy, dropping it for his foot to kick. Zayn launched it up high in the sky, across the field; everybody on the team had their heads tilted up as they watched the ball soar across the sky.

Niall catches his breath as he ran towards Zayn, holding his hands on his hips as he looks at him. "Is it coming down or what?" It doesn't look like it's coming down any soon. 

Suddenly, it came right at the benches and everyone ducked for it. It was a loud clang that sent the team on the floor. Then everyone turned to Zayn who was filling the thirtieth cup of water.

"How'd you do that?" Niall asks.

"I learned it from you." Zayn tells him.

"But you don't even play." And he's only been to three practices, just sitting there watching beside the cooler.

"It is easy to do." He says, then he hands Niall a cup. "Water? Banana?"

"I'll take the water. Those are your bananas." Zayn eats bananas like trail mix.

"Your bananas.”

"You finished yours already?" Monkeys don't even eat that much bananas in one day.

"No one wants to hear my joke so I have to eat them or they will go to waste, keby." That's the only reason why he has so many bananas with him at times. His favourite fruit isn't bananas at all, but apples instead.

"Aww." Niall coos, shaking Zayn from his shoulder. "I like them. If you still have a banana left, I'll listen to your joke."

"I have two of your bananas."

"Right." Niall gives a smile before he heads back to the end of the field where his team is. He also needs a new ball.

Zayn opens Niall's Psychology textbook when he sits on the grass. "Going bananas." He says to himself, and then he starts to read.

* * *

Halloween night is always best known for parties. There would at least be a hundred happening in the city of Miami. And as much as that gives his friends to go into their real physical form, no one will believe that ten feet glowing alien isn't a fake alien, so the aliens buy costumes too, but they weren't happy with the grey alien masks with the shiny black eyes.

Jesy goes as clown while Griff goes as a zombie with strawberry jam as his blood. He took a handful and threw it on a white shirt and rubbed the jam all over. Zayn decides he's going as a human being so that meant there isn't a costume for him to wear at all. Being human is already a costume they're all pulling off.

Niall goes as a doctor. The only interesting thing about his costume is that the stethoscope is real and he doesn't let anybody touch it.

"What are you, Harry?" Niall grimaces at his friend. He sipped the shirley temple from his red cup. There was even a little pineapple in it.

"I am a surfer. I'm wearing pooka shells and floral swim shorts, duh." Harry laughs, tilting his beer at Niall.

"I thought it was your excuse to walk around half naked." Niall shrugs.

"So? What if it is?" Harry sounds insulted. "I have to be free."

"Make sure you've got your butthole shaved." Niall starts to laugh. 

He calms down when Harry leans down to whisper in his ear. "I know a few people that like it fuzzy." 

"Oh my god. Fuck off. That's disgusting." Niall laughs again, shoving Harry away. 

Throughout the night, he joins a couple of games—most involve lots of drinking but he limits himself to three drinking games. Tequila shots isn't a game really, until Niall's got his tongue down Todd's mouth (he's just a very attractive guy around the circle of parties Niall's been invited to, nothing more, nothing less) with the sour taste of tequila, salt, and lime altogether—it's a really fun game and nothing leaves what happens in the closet. Niall just really needed it.

"Hey Zayn." He's sitting on the storage bench outside the washroom with a piña colada in his hand. Doesn't look like he touched it. He must have eaten the pineapple—there is usually little fruits in the blended drinks.

"Hello, keby." Zayn greets him politely. "I am having fun."

"You are? That's great to hear." Niall nods with a playful frown on his face. He didn't think anyone would but he saw Jesy dancing and Griff jumping around. "What did you do?"

"I sat here and listened to the music with this drink in my hand." Zayn tells him. "But I wish to go home. I am tired."

It's only 11pm and something about leaving a party early aggravated him but he is looking out for them and if the prince wants to go home—as much as the title doesn’t matter to Niall— he can't deny his request. He was done with tonight anyway—he got everything he wanted and he doesn't need to be out any later with everyone drunk out of their minds, spilling drinks and puking.

When they got home, Jesy passed out on the couch, mumbling 'fruity, fruity' until she really blacked out. Lucky Griff made it into his bed but he liked his costume so much, he slept in it so he's expecting bed sheets with strawberry jam smeared over to be washed.

Half past 12am, Niall was under the covers with his very thick pillow squeezed between his arms and legs. The alcohol in his system is keeping him warm and very sleepy.

"Hello." He hears in his room.

He turns his body until he wasn't looking at the wall of his room anymore. "Hi Zayn." 

"What is this?" He's holding something up. From the light of his window, it looks like a very important accessory to Niall's costume tonight.

"It's a stethoscope." Niall tells him. He beckons for Zayn to come over to him, the same time he's sitting up from his bed.

He slowly comes to Niall's bed, seeing if going over his side of the room would be safe or not. There's nothing but his clothes on his floor and his bookshelf beside his bed. 

"You use it to hear your heartbeat."

Niall plugs the earpieces in Zayn's ears carefully, and Zayn starts to make weird noises with his jaw dropping.

"Hellooo, hellooooooo." Zayn starts to drone. 

Zayn can't hear properly but Niall is laughing and picking something up at the end of the rubber tubbing. It's the chestpiece—a circular looking contraption. He moves Niall's hands away from the buttons of his pyjama top, but Niall swats Zayn’s hand away and pulls the collar of his shirt until the chestpiece is over the left side of his chest. It's ice cold against his skin and Zayn doesn't know what the whole thing is supposed to do. The earpieces just hurt his ears so he takes it off.

"Did you hear it?" Niall asks him.

Zayn shakes his head. "No. I did not hear anything." 

"Put it back on." Niall insists on it by gesturing at Zayn.

He plugs the earpieces back in his ear, but this time Niall's putting it over his chest and Zayn can finally hear something. 

It's deep and loud, but nothing like a ruckus. Its rhythm is endless and it sounds beautiful. His hand takes the chestpiece and he holds it himself. As he looks at Niall, the thuds would match the way his chest would beat. It's hard to see if Zayn isn't looking properly.

He moves the chestpiece down his torso and Niall lets him move it around his skin. Zayn's always been curious about everything. Once Zayn puts it over Niall's belly, Niall flinches away and starts to laugh. Zayn puts it over Niall's lips and Niall mumbles a hi between his closed mouth.

"I do not have a heart." Zayn takes off the stethoscope. 

"Your heart is right here." Niall tries to pry through Zayn's pyjama for the stone in the middle of his chest. "It's just different."

"I like yours better." Zayn tells him.

"Yours is pretty sick." Niall wants a stone for a heart that can allow him to change into aliens, make him glow blue. "But actually, humans have two hearts."

Zayn starts to touch his chest. "I have none." 

"One heart is the organ that pumps the blood in our body. The other heart is a metaphor for love. It’s our reason to be nice and caring." Niall explains. 

"Love…” He hums. "It sounds simple.”

"It's a complicated emotion humans have. It makes people do good things for others, it makes people kind and caring, and it even hurts sometimes." 

"I want that." Zayn sounds excited. "I can love everyone?" They must not have love as an idea back from where they're from. It exists but isn't a form of an important emotion or meaning to express it openly.

"You can love anybody you want." Niall yawns behind the back of his hand. It's great to hear somebody be so content about love. Others just have bad luck with it, making them incapable of ever having something kind like that. It's terrible when people can't even realize there are people who love them because they're hurt.

"Can I listen to your heart more?" Zayn asks.

"Yeah, I don't mind." He's really close to blacking out with all the alcohol in his system.

There are other interesting facts about the organ Zayn would find fascinating. If he knew that the sound of the heartbeat he’s hearing—the ‘lub-dubs’—is made by the four valves closing, or that the heart pumps blood through the aorta at 1 mile per hour, he would explode with so much human information.

He hands Zayn the stethoscope but he shakes his head and puts his ear against Niall’s chest. He never thought his arm would hug around Zayn’s head while he rests on Niall’s damned chest. There was no plan to go this far, yet he’s got someone leaning on him, as if it feels comfortable.

Niall thinks Zayn should really hold his excitement. To humans, the human heart is just something that cleanses and pumps blood throughout the body. Niall lies down on his back first, and then he lets Zayn rest his head on his chest. He thought he’d only fall asleep then, since he wasn’t expecting his arm to go over his middle and his body to curl up against him. With the weight of Zayn's head pressing down, he can feel and see his heart beating through his chest. And it's hard and heavy; Niall can practically feel his insides drumming.

"Love Niall." Zayn says out loud.

Niall starts to laugh. "Love you too." 

And Zayn lists more names and the last one he hears before he could fall asleep is Niall's heart.

* * *

Jesy and Griff don't break a lot of things when they're in their real form anymore. They like watching television, especially the soap operas. There are lies and deception in every turn, dramatic camera shots and music, and bad acting that seems to make them laugh a lot more than television shows that fall under comedy. 

"Would you like to watch cartoons?" Niall offers the choice. "They're really cool."

"What is it?" Jesy asks.

"Drawings that move." Niall takes the controller, switching the channel showing Scooby Doo.

It's a Saturday morning so they all sit back on their sofas, quiet as can be. Jesy and Griff are silently listening to the team talk between each other in a diner. Shaggy and Scooby—as always—are eating while the team plans, which catches Griff's attention.

"You are Shaggy." Griff looks at Niall.

"Just because I'm eating a bowl of cereal?" Niall laughs. That's a thought. "You should too. Humans have breakfast after they wake up. It's really good for your body, trust me on it."

"I trust you." Griff says excitedly, coming back into his human form as he follows Niall into the kitchen. 

"Me too." Jesy joins them at the counters.

Niall looks at the top of his shelf over the countertops where all his cereal is. They're in fancy plastic boxes with the face of the box cut and glued on the front. On the side of the plastic box are the nutritional facts in case anybody wants to read those. Now that he's thinking, maybe he should have the ingredients too if anybody has allergy concerns.

He's got fruity pebbles, cinnamon toast crunch, corn pops, froot loops—name a cereal and Niall will probably have it. It's just something he does for his friends. He has their favourite cereal in case they come over. Sometimes, he eats them as well.

"I like this." Jesy grabs the fruity pebbles. She likes it because of the colours, but that's okay.

"I want this." Griff chooses Nesquik.

"Alright." Niall bites his lip. "Cereal is cereal and milk. Just those two simple things make a great meal for the day. But there is a science that comes behind a cereal bowl."

"Is it the size of the bowl?" Jesy asks.

"No. Grab any bowl you want to put your cereal in." 

The two take the same one as Niall's except Griff has red lines on the rim, not blue ones.

"What do you think goes in next?" Niall brings a spoonful of his cereal into his mouth as he waits for an answer. 

"Milk? Or is it the spoon?" Griff mutters to himself.

Niall blares out the 'wrong answer' sound, scaring Griff and Jesy. That eases away when Jesy starts to shake her box like maracas.  

"No! Cereal first!" Niall pats Griff's container. "Never ever put the milk first! Do you know why?" He whispers to Jesy.

"Because you can measure how much cereal you want?"

"Exactly!" Niall shakes his forefinger at her and she smiles. "You can always add more cereal or pour it back in. But you can't do that with milk. By the amount of cereal you have in your bowl, you'll tell how much milk you can pour in and make it a proper balance between the two."

"You are a genius." Jesy whispers. She starts to pour cereal into her bowl, guessing that it's enough for her to eat for the first time. She can always try new cereal if she doesn't like it.

"Humans eat cereal?" Griff is cautious with his pouring. He shakes the box each time and three pieces come out every time.

"Humans love cereal." Niall stuffs his mouth. "Humans eat this anytime they want. It's the best."

Jesy is careful with the milk. She holds it with two hands and pours a thin stream over her bowl. She waits for Griff to pour some into his bowl before she can bring her spoon in her mouth. They chew the one piece of cereal in their mouth carefully. Suddenly, their eyes widen and their lips turn into little o's.

"Ohhh!" Jesy gasps quietly. In an instant, she brings her spoon back and forth into her mouth. Niall watches the small pebbles and milk dribble out from her mouth and back into the bowl. "This is delicious." 

"The king would love this. He will not cry about Ghyra ever again." Griff feed himself a packed pile of Nesquik.

"What's Ghyra?"

"Cooked animal we can eat. Like they are red, four legged creatures. Looks like Scooby the dog but spikier and grotesque." Griff explains. "If not skinned right and the hair is still on it, you will die if you eat it."

"Oh." Niall shakes his head. He can't relate a Ghyra to any kind of animal on Earth. That's also something that a king shouldn't be eating when there's a high chance he can die from eating it.

The rest of the day, they all watch movies together. Niall has Netflix but he lays out all the movies that he has on DvD and all four of them choose a movie to watch. Some of the choices they picked Niall encouraged. Some he shrugged at which changed their mind, but they all chose one according to Niall's faces. 

Jesy chose Milo and Otis—a movie where an orange tabby cat and a pug who both lived on a farm get separated from each other and the two go through perilous journies. They both find mates and have little babies with them. This was a movie Niall didn't have a real opinion on. Jesy pushed for it and Niall couldn't say no when she wouldn't look at any other movies. That's the movie where they were finally able to see a cat and a real life dog. Griff really likes cats and Jesy just seems like she wants to play with them.

After that, they watched Zayn's choice of movie which was Coraline. That was one movie nobody laughed through. Everyone was quiet; he would even often feel Griff shuffle his feet and bring his knees closer to his face so he wouldn't have to look at the 'other mother'. Zayn liked it, which was great for him.

Then there's Griff who has decided that The Ring was a suitable movie to watch at 8 in the evening. That isn't something to end your nights with and he should have told him to pick another movie. On the other hand, he was enjoying Zayn's quiet and long groaning and growling when scary things were happening. 

"If we do this again, Griff is not allowed to choose a movie." Jesy scowls and glares aimlessly.

"I do not want to watch a movie anymore, anyway." Griff swallows. Especially not when he's got a creepy girl from the well crawling out of the television. 

The fear drags deeper into the night; something Niall didn't predict. The lights suddenly flashed open in his room. He was already asleep; his body needed it after four movies. So when the lights flashed open, and Niall's first instinct was to hide his face under his blanket, Zayn is the one responsible.

Niall doesn't care if Zayn slips into bed with him. All he wants is the lights off. He's been in his room since the Halloween night when he learned what a heartbeat is. Ever since then, he's always listening to the rhythm of Niall's heart. Zayn likes the feeling of the beat drumming through Niall's chest. That's how he can lay his head on him all night. 

To Zayn, humans are very odd creatures and he doesn't know what to think about Niall's tendency to move and turn until he's on his side. Zayn's hand would be. in Niall's grasp. It's become something subconscious and important to the both of them that Zayn gets to hear and feel his heart. Niall would turn, and he would pull Zayn in behind him and Zayn would go with it, question nothing because it feels nice and new. His hand would be held against Niall's heart and he would feel it thumping from his fingertips, arm around Niall, and their body fitting together. Zayn wonders why no one on Iskalag Karrocerise thinks about having two bodies beside each other, together.

"Zayn, turn it off." Niall grumbles.

"What if the woman comes?" Zayn asks, his hand carefully held over the switch. "I do not want her coming. I unplugged the television if that helps.”

"I promise you she won't." Niall slurs, turning his body until his face is hiding in his pillow.

"You promise?" Zayn has to make sure.

"Yeah." Niall mutters. "Go to bed, Zayn."

"Okay." Zayn agrees, finally turning the lights off. "May I still listen to your heart?"

"Mhmmm." Niall hums, shifting more to the wall until he has room for Zayn to come beside him. 

Niall turns on his bed until he's on his back, and Zayn does the usual—being careful and slow, tucking his body right beside Niall. He puts his head on his chest, letting seconds go by in silence. He's fast asleep without hearing Niall's heart.

* * *

Niall is out somewhere where he couldn't bring anybody so Zayn was left with Griff and Jesy at home. Their interests led them outside instead. It's been weeks since they've gone outside and Griff wants to know where cats live so he can take one home. They've been walking around the park; the vegetation of the park was just an assumption that animals live there. However, they were very adamant about keeping Zayn safe since Niall wasn't around to promise him anything. Although he was right about the scary woman—she didn't come haunting anyone that night.

"Cats are house pets to humans." Zayn stares at the black Labrador walking by them. Jesy shoves him aside, uses her body to block Zayn from the dog and Zayn just huffs. 

"They must live somewhere." Says Jesy. "What if someone wants to eat them? There must be a place to get some."

"You do not eat cats. Humans show love and care to them." Zayn watches another different kind of dog walk past them. Griff pulls him closer, away from the husky that reminds the three of them of another creature back home. 

Since this wasn't going anywhere, Zayn approached the next person who came by with their dog. It was large, white, and shaggy—the mouth barely visible. The lady who was holding the dog by the leash gave Zayn a sincere smile. Zayn could not smile like her or Niall or like his friends Jesy and Griff. He wants to. 

She laughed at his question, "where can we find a cat?" It was not in a mean way. It jolted Griff and Jesy in the back when he mentioned animal shelter. She mentioned there was one just ten minutes away, can't miss it when it's on the main road. 

That led them out the park. Sadly, Zayn wanted a dog more than a cat. Yet, this was the first time Griff wanted something that was not for himself so Zayn did not intrude on it.

The shelter had lots of cats. There were out in the play area and there was a litter of cats and kittens separated. Lots of purring and meowing. 

"We want all of them." Griff looks to the lady.

She begins to laugh. "Let's just start you off with one."

Jesy watched all of them run around in their little play areas. Zayn swore there were tears in his eyes. They got one at the end of the day as well—fortunately, not to eat.

* * *

While the two went home with their cats, Zayn wandered around the city on his own. He likes the parks so he went to another one and followed the trail that led him out to another side where there was parking. There aren't any trees back on Iskalag Karrocerise with green leaves. What they considered trees back home were very tall shells that look like a carrot standing on its root—colours of white and ice blue would be a pattern on the 'tree'; crystals would hang from them like a willow. They're tall and very skinny, and provide just about the planet's energy. With the three distant stars, the crystals of their land harvest its power and the roots are the veins of the rock under their feet. The 'trees' are what they call Yhâmin. 

Their planet is every colour but green. Green is not a colour that catches their eye. Their eyes get to see the many reflections of the crystal and gems against the sun but nothing alive like the colour green. The hairs on the Earth’s ground are green, the hairs of trees are green, and someone else beside the nature and the gardens is wearing the colour green. Just like Niall's eyes and the collar of Griff's cat—it's green. Funny, the Martians are green.

He has read enough about Earth’s plants and life forms. It is the chlorophyll in the cell of a plant that is responsible for the colour of green. It collects sunlight to provide energy for what the humans called photosynthesis—something like what the Iskalagan do. But instead of being green, the Iskalagan's are all kinds of blue, purple, and orange.

Green disappears at night time and so everything turns dark like the sky. But Miami at night is always bright, and the presence of the Earth's star lingers between each grain of sand. His Vida Pedra glows soft at night, which means energy is low but there is enough on Earth for him and his friends to survive. The star of Earth is extremely hot—a good temperature for them.

He passes by lots of people; couples and friends who laugh and talk differently and fast. Some sound angry and they look red in their faces. Humans are odd creatures. If anybody is awake at night, there will be dangerous creatures who will see the intensity of their glowing Vida Pedra and stones of their bodies in a place where light is dim and soft.

At 1, he retraced his steps back to Niall's house—his memory is by far advanced than the humans that he is able to walk home without doubt. 

Niall got to his house around same time as he did with somebody Zayn hasn't seen before. He was a distance away for nobody to see him. With his eyesight, he could tell they had their lips together. In the same way like he and Niall did the first time they met, in a different way that made Zayn's Vida Freda whisper to him to go back. Go back where? Go back when? To go back to what? It was more intimate and Niall held the person's hand like the way he held Zayn's and invited the stranger inside his house.

It felt invasive to go back now. Besides, this is his second time being out late at night, and there could be more things to learn at 3am. 

To walk into a bar, he learns humans really like bitter and sour drinks. They can drink lots of it and they end up funny, slurring their words, turning red and sweaty. Since it was a restaurant, Zayn ordered water and something called a Cubano. There was green mush in it—he likes it. 

That's all that he got up to before he realized things were closed. The lights were only on for display. Half an hour past 2, that's when he got back to the house. He knew that the person with Niall was still over, so he headed to his own room where he looked down at the glowing crystal in his chest longer than he ever did before.

When he went to sleep, he had dreams—very vivid and lucid dreams that he made him feel like he was back home. He had his clothes from the palace that made him feel very heavy but they were a part of his body. Once he puts it on, there's an attachment in the clothes that connect to the veins, making it seem like he is his clothes. 

The last thing he saw was his family. Then Zayn opened his eyes and it was still dark. A journey to nowhere led him feeling like a whole day has passed, His hearing was coming back and then he turned his body to look behind him. 

"Where did you go?" He was hearing Niall's voice.

"I went to the park, the beach, and I walked around the city, and had some food in a place called Ocean's Blue." Zayn explains monotony. "I like gree—"

"You don't ever go out somewhere without someone." Niall hisses in anger.

Zayn kept still and stared at Niall like he was someone completely new. Nothing of his looks changed—only the tone of his voice that reminds him of the people who were at the bar. He didn't like it. 

"Why are you speaking to me this way?" He asks quietly, blinking away the weird feeling of his eyes.

"It's nearly 4 in the morning!" Niall hisses louder. "You are not a human being; you don't know the world like it is."

"I do not know anything to any one of you." Deep down, Zayn is insulted and feels the need to go home. This isn't an impulsive idea; it always comes in his mind when everybody talks to him like he isn't intelligent. He knows things—he knows plenty enough for somebody who was kept inside a palace ever since he was a child. The guards were his best friends and his enemy was the wall around him.

"You don't know anything at all!" Niall continues the harsh tone of his voice. "This world does not run with a good heart like yours. You'll realize this soon."

"I know." Zayn replies.

"You don't." Niall repeats again, sharper this time. “Because you walk around with no regards about time and place. It's dangerous, and you didn’t tell anyone where you were!”

There it is again. Zayn's temper was increasing the longer he stayed in bed, stayed in the room for that matter.

"I'm sorry." He says instead, and hides away under his blanket, putting a pillow over his head. 

Niall sighs as he takes a step forward. "Zayn—"

"I want to be alone. Now." Zayn squeezes the pillow over his head harder. He just wants to dream again.

* * *

Niall woke up alone; no Todd, no body, nobody. That's what always happens when the reoccurring problem happens—sex for the night, someone leaves and it tends to be Todd that disappears. They're never sober through it anyway. Knowing him, he left before six. Right now, it was noon.

As always, Jesy and Griff are eating cereal, still with their old habits that they enjoy. He's got nothing on them about it. However, their cats are beginning to shed on everything. 

"The prince will like Rha:ja more." Griff cuddles with his moderately fat black tom cat. "Can you see how cute he is?"

"Veheo smells better. And is also cute. Cuter." Jesy argues. Her cat is sandy colour and fat.

"I shall ask the prince." Griff takes off with his cat. Jesy follows right behind him with her cat.

At least they're enthusiastic in the morning. That's something Niall can be if he tried really really, awfully hard. 

It's hard enough to be happy; he's just relieved Zayn came home safe with all his ten human fingers and toes. It's never safe for someone to be alone so late at night. He only figured out Zayn wasn't home when he was because he heard the door open and footsteps up the stairs and that couldn't be anybody else.

It only made him anxious and he wants Zayn to know that. It wasn't a good night for him and the irritation that held onto Todd projected at Zayn. And so, he went up to his room afterwards and followed a voice.

"You must feed Rha:ja and Veheo." Both heads of the cat are in Zayn's hands, carefully stroking their fur. "Unfortunately, I do not know what they eat."

"Cat food." Niall replies.

Zayn doesn't give him anything to work with. He continues to pet the cats that keep walking over his lap. Does he want an alien angry? No. Most importantly, he doesn't want Zayn to be disappointed in him.

"I want to talk to Zayn alone." Niall tells them quietly; in the silence of the room, it was a loud voice to everyone's ears.

Griff left his cat with Zayn under his request, making Jesy the least bit unhappy. Regardless, they left to pursue this so-called cat food and decided to look for it in the fridge.

Rha:ja had her face nosing right in Zayn's cheek. He held her from the back of her head while his other hand held her back. It's clear he doesn't want to talk to Niall; he prefers the cat over him.

"I'm so sorry." Niall told him, and laid his hand over his knee. 

Zayn covered his face, using the cat to block Niall's view.

"I was afraid something was gonna happen to you." Niall's new fear after this would be to hurt Zayn again. "But I said things that weren't nice and caring. It happens often when someone's hurt themselves, and I am sorry that you were the one I hurt. I should’ve offered to go with you.”

Zayn's body is slowly relaxing the longer Niall went; that's what he needs. 

"You have so much love to give that you have enough for everyone. It means your heart is bigger than many other people, and I like that about you." 

"I have a heart?" Zayn mutters. “No, I do not.”

"You have the biggest one I've seen." Niall moves his hand from his knee to the cat's chin, scratching it weakly.

Zayn starts to put Rha:ja down from his face and it starts to meow, shoulders hunched with legs dangling in front of her. He blinks as he watches her walk around the bed before he looks up at Niall.

"Why are you hurt?" He starts to look at Rha:ja again.

"Love likes to play with me." Niall shrugs. "Sometimes it'll come over; sometimes it'll be gone for weeks."

"I thought love is kind, keby." Zayn looks down at Rha:ja standing in his lap. She is kind and comforting; just like love.

"This is different." This is trying to keep something from arm's reach and his arm is hurting from the weight he's pulling just to get what he wants. And this thing between him and Todd—they've been at this game for a year now; it's exhausting.

"I do not see it that way." Zayn focuses on random spots to look at in his room. "Love is not supposed to hurt."

"Love is shit." Niall laughs drily. It's especially shit when Todd always puts distance between them every so often just to come back, and then do it all over again.

"But I love you?" Zayn questions. “It is shit?”

He knows Zayn does. Zayn loves everyone around him, loves the people who he hasn't even met. And maybe love isn't so shit at all—not when it comes from somebody who sees the light in everything before the darkness. 

Niall's chest caves in and he feels like something's about to hit him behind his eyes. He lets his head rest on Zayn's shoulder, feeling the cat panic in Zayn's lap as Niall leaned over. No one could ever make love be the easiest thing to feel like Zayn does. Even when he wants to cry, he's smiling tightly.

"I'm not hurt anymore." He has his arms around his neck.

"Okay." Zayn agrees. "If you are hurt again, my saliva may be able to heal it."

"Just you is good enough." 

"I am." Zayn agrees, and that's just something Niall will always like about him. From the plain and simple okays to the ‘good good' at the end of their conversation, it will always be something to look forward to, something to make his day feel right.

As Niall has his face in Zayn's neck, his body leaning awkwardly over, Zayn's got his arm around his back, and it's not a hug he expected to get. It's a weight on his back that makes him laugh, makes him press his face more into the curve of Zayn's neck. He doesn't know why Zayn's putting the cat on his hunched back. Any minute now, it'll start to slide and it will dig its claws in his back to keep itself from falling. It'll be a pain—one he'll have to be cautious of.

* * *

Finally come Thanksgiving, where nothing exciting happens but the mass servings of food. It's also a reminder that he has nobody to spend it with which sounds morbid but Niall's really okay with it. His family isn't close by to spend Thanksgiving with, his friends usually go home to their own state for the weekend to visit their families so nobody is ever actually around to be with. 

As a tradition, he visits a Portuguese restaurant, and every year he buys himself an entire whole roast chicken with potatoes. He makes his own salad because buying a salad is just not right. And every year, after he's finished with his dinner, he'll leave a box of cupcakes at Ms. Smith's door and run back to his house before she can answer. The season of Thanksgiving may be brought up by negative connotations where the white people make 'friends' with the aboriginals before they murdered them, but the season changes him into a better person for an entire day so it has good outcomes.

Instead of finishing dinner first, he dropped by Ms. Smith's house to leave the four cupcakes he bought her by the door. He doesn't know what her favourite flavours are; only the fact that she likes chocolate is good enough for him to always keep getting the quadruple chocolate cupcake every year.

But it has to be different this year with his trip of aliens. He went alone to do everything for dinner—picked up his roast chicken from the Portuguese restaurant, went to the grocery store for lettuce and other vegetables he can put in the salad. He brought it all back, left the bags in the landing and picked up the small box. He has so much food this year, he doesn't even know if the aliens are willing to eat it since they're so picky on food. But the nice thing is, he wasn't going to be alone for the first time in three years and he was certainly happy about it. 

He put the cupcakes on Ms. Smith's porch in front of her door—a yellow ribbon to top off the plain white box. She has a thing for the colour yellow; the flowers by the house and in the front yard are yellow.

It's always impossible in his mind for Ms. Smith to catch him. He was just lingering long enough for her to open her screen door to let out her door.

"What is this?" She asks. Stereotypical it may sound, she really sounds like a grandma from the T.V. shows where her voice is breaking and shaking all the time.

"Uh, Happy Thanksgiving." He figured since he was already here, he should hand her the box.

"Oh it's you!" She starts to laugh and he starts to smile so hard, his eyes are hurting. She moves the box left and right to avoid the dog from sniffing it. "I was wondering who it was that always came by and left! Thank you."

"It's no problem." The smile is stuck on his face. It's the least he can do for taking care of him. Every year on Christmas, it's her house that he visits for dinner. She's the one who always opened her door to him at the loneliest time of the year.

When he got back home, it was unusually quiet for a Sunday. They let Adventure Time play in the background while Griff was reclined back in his seat with Jesy’s head on his lap with the kittens aimlessly walking around their bodies. They don't seem to feel their little steps at all.

And in his room, there was Zayn in the ordinary, sitting by the window on his bed, looking out at the neighbourhood street. He was the only one awake between the three of them. As he changes out of his clothes and into a t-shirt and sweats, Zayn starts to ask a question.

"Do you like living alone?" 

"Somewhat. The privacy is always nice to have." Niall shrugs. Until it's too quiet in the house and he can hear noises he isn't making.

"Then it does not annoy you at all that we are here?" 

"No." He tosses his dirty clothes into the hamper. "Why are you asking lots of questions today?"

"I had nothing to do. I was waiting for you to come home." He was the only one that gave him things to do. Whether it be he shared his books with Zayn to read or his time, he always gave Zayn things to do in his spare time. He only had nothing to do was because he already finished reading his books in his room. 

Niall starts to laugh at him, only because Zayn sounds like he's defending himself from something Niall's accused him of. He's only curious, and he's real polite about his laugh that Zayn doesn't have to ask what's wrong if he feels like something's up. "Wanna help me prepare dinner?"

"Okay." Zayn starts to crawl off his bed. "I shall help you."

Thanksgiving dinner was short and simple to prepare. He only had Zayn cut the chickens in pieces and put on the plate and when he was done with that, he'd help Niall with the salad by throwing in the vegetables he had already cut up. Zayn enjoyed tossing the salad with his hands and kept tossing even when Niall told him enough. He continued until Niall began to eat a cookie as his treat to himself.

"I want one." Zayn pressed himself right beside Niall.

"I only got one." Niall rubs the cookie in his face but pulls his hand back when Zayn tries to take it from him.

If there's something Zayn's learning as a human, it's facial expressions. He's only got a grimace down—and when he does it, he looks more distressed and confused than irritated and Niall's trying to pick at him every so often to see his eyebrows knit weakly and watch his eyes gleam like they're about to cry. "Why did you get only one?" 

Niall starts to laugh way too early, knowing too well that the look in his eyes is louder than what his words say. He could only see his eyelashes and they were beautiful. "Because I didn’t wanna share with you."

"Okay." Zayn turns his back on Niall and starts to leave.

"I'm kidding." Niall scoffs, pulling Zayn's shoulder so he can come back from walking away. "Just teasing you." He breaks his cookie in half and gives the bigger piece to Zayn. Figured if there's something for these aliens to like eating, it should be cookies.

"You don't love me anymore?" Zayn mumbles with the cookie in his mouth, slightly raising his eyebrows up at Niall.

"I do." Niall assures him by taking his hand into his. He doesn't really know what else to do to make him know that. 

"I am only teasing, keby." Zayn blinks at him once, then he blinks again when he looks away from Niall. "Goodbye." Then he walks away for good, towards the kittens where he's taking them both up in his hands.

"Weirdo." Niall whispers to himself playfully, fully aware of Zayn's superb hearing.

* * *

What more can anyone do at the end of the semester than to celebrate by a year-end party? At his last exam, Niall dashed his binder out into the hallway where Zayn was sitting outside waiting for him to finish. Zayn insisted to Niall that he wanted to take this exam as well, just as a way to keep himself occupied, Niall laughed at the idea before he told him there is no such thing as a student who didn't attend college being able to take an exam. No one has ever heard of it. Though, students and teachers are pretty convinced Zayn is Niall's friend studying from abroad.

As the binder slid on the floor, all the papers came out all over the hallway. Zayn looked at Niall afterwards, who ran around the hallway with his arms open. Humans are odd, he tells himself again. He reminds himself once or twice a day that the things humans do, is a way of expressing their emotion. It's what they're known for.

As Niall laughs with his classmates, Zayn is collecting Niall's papers and sticks them inside his binder like before. He has a lot already put inside and they were all case studies with scribbles and writing. He starts to read the one about psychological trauma.

When Niall came, Zayn stood up with his backpack and his arms around Niall's binder.

"Would you like to join us, Zayn?" Maybe he didn't hear what they were saying for him to wonder what they're talking about. He looks at Niall who was also waiting for an answer from him.

"Join you in?" Zayn asks, only staring at Niall, not knowing who anybody else was. Some of them look familiar from Niall's football team.

"We're gonna have a barbecue at Robbie's house just to celebrate this semester. His house is by the beach. Real sick." A girl tells him with a grin. She has silver hair and big brown eyes.

"I would have to see if Niall's going." Zayn shrugs. He will not be going if Niall's not. He was already upset about him staying out late all alone; upsetting him again won't be something he wants to do again.

"You're his date. Of course he's going." The girl starts to laugh. Niall scoffs her name and starts to push her away. At the same time, Zayn becomes confused with the pushing and shoving. Seeing the expression on his face, the girl Jade thinks he's adorable. "He won't go unless you go too. He told me so."

“Date?” Zayn's face softened by then when he finally understood their dilemma. He'll help them out.

"Zayn, I am going. Jade's just saying stupid things." Niall huffs and shakes his head. Sometimes, Niall's cheeks get red and Zayn often notices it a lot. It's fascinating to see blush appear—they say the cheeks would feel terribly hot and tingly and the skin would get red. Not for him, no matter how many times his skin tingles or warms up.

"You know I love you." She starts to laugh and raise her eyebrows suspiciously at Niall. "I'll see you tonight."

As they walk away, Zayn continues to hug Niall's binder. Even when Niall asks for it, seeing how horrible it is to let his friend hold his things, Zayn doesn't let go. Instead, he smiles to himself, watching Zayn from the corner of his eye protecting his binder with his life.

* * *

There were only a few people who came to the barbecue. Some of Niall's teammates and classmates were there, and then Harry who invited himself even when Jade told him he can't come. She couldn't turn him away when he brought coronas for everyone. Niall brought nothing but his presence which graced the whole room. Bringing Zayn along even brought more attention that it somehow blessed everyone that a guy like him was here. With his good looks, he was someone they believed was down for a good time. That would be if he ever leaves Niall's side.

All he could think about was Jesy and Griff who didn't want to come tonight. Even when Niall invited them, and Jade said it's okay, they only wanted to stay home and watch cartoons with their cats. If it made them happy, Niall wasn't going to break them up from having it.

For the first time ever, Zayn drank beer. Harry convinced him to try it and it tasted like the dirty water under the streets and roads. He nearly puked before handing it back to Harry and enjoyed water instead. 

This was his first real party where Zayn is actually interacting with company. At first, he was frankly new at it and as months go by, the more he learns from Niall, he learns humans often like to talk about dogs and their social media accounts with hints of aggression and hate which is supposedly translated into a form of affection. A few have asked him about Instagram, in which he replied, 'what is Instagram' and got a whole ton of gasps and looks from the people around him.

Harry showed him his account and it was only pictures. That's all there was—pictures and videos of people, the Earth, sky, the water, the plants, the sand. He will be able to see all kinds of everything on there.

He clicked a picture on Harry's account, bringing him to see a bigger picture of Niall with his hair nearly all blond. It looked like a calm summer's day. In the picture, he was smiling in the sun. It looks like paradise itself.

"Hey!" Harry exclaims; he sounds like he's accusing him of something. All Zayn does is stare at Harry with his big brown Bambi eyes, wondering if he did something wrong.

Harry takes his phone back just to look at the picture Zayn chose to see, and he looked up at Niall who was by the grill with Robbie, laughing loud about something that made the corner of his eyes crinkle and his teeth appear.

"You should tell him." Harry hands his phone back to Zayn, and he goes back to staring at the picture. He can't hide it from anybody; Harry's got the iPhone 7 and his brightness is never below 30%. 

"Tell him what?" Zayn scrolls down just to see the comments. He recognizes Niall's name, and clicks it to bring him onto his page. There he sees everything of Niall's life—from his friends to his home. Then there was one picture of the kittens uploaded recently. Before that it was Zayn sleeping on the couch, and his cheeks were beginning to feel hot all of the sudden.

Harry gives him a weary look. "Are you always clueless?"

"No." Zayn shakes his head. "I am hungry."

Harry laughs at him and throws his arm around Zayn's shoulder at the same time. He brings him over to the barbecue where Niall turns to them and takes Zayn away from Harry so he can sit on the patio chairs.

Someone offers him another beer and he can still taste the weird bitter flavour he can't explain with human words on his tongue. He takes a juice box instead from Robbie's pantry, though that's when he starts to look around, hoping no one sees him struggling with the straw.

He hides the juice box between his thighs when Harry drops a grilled chicken burger in front of him. Beside him were all these bottles and vegetables that he should put in his burger. What he noticed from the box of grilled chicken burgers sitting on top of the recycling box didn’t look the same compared to what he has in front of him. 

"Robbie, you know what you should buy instead of a car?" Niall gestures his beer at the tan man by the grill. 

"No?" He looks back at Niall.

"Cooking skills—because what the fuck, is, that!" Niall starts to laugh at Zayn's food. The grilled chicken was completely charred black. Zayn starts to poke at it, and he winced at Niall.

"Should I eat it?" Zayn asks.

"It might upset your stomach, eating something burned like that." Harry's giggles stifle behind his hand.

"I shall wait for a well-cooked one." Zayn brings out his juice box over the table. He got the straw out of the plastic, now what? 

Robbie turns around to Zayn. "You insulting my cooking?"

Zayn looks up at Robbie, noticing the tattoo across his collarbone. It looks cool—reminds him of the patterns Griff's has on his skin and on his own. Zayn knew he didn't turn around to show the ink on his skin. The hostility in his voice is clear as Miami's sky and its water. He wiggles in his seat, trying to make himself comfortable as Robbie glared at him. What is he supposed to do? Why is he angry?

"He doesn't mean it the way you think." Niall laughs. "Lighten up. If you fight him, you'll fight me too."

"Why is he fighting?" Zayn asks. Niall's the first one to react, noticing the juice box and the bent up straw beside it.

Niall picks up the straw and juice box as he explains to Zayn, "He's not. Robbie is just defensive about his cooking when he's clearly got the skill of those restaurant owners on Kitchen Nightmare."

Zayn understands that, and he nods to show Niall. However, he's still confused. "Why are you fighting?"

"To protect you." He replies. Zayn sits back in his seat, sipping from the straw Niall poked inside the box. 

Before Zayn can tell him okay, Robbie starts to groan and gag. "Can someone shove Niall and Zayn off my fucking patio?" He smacks Niall's head. Zayn doesn't like seeing Niall getting hurt.

Zayn shakes his head, biting the straw between his teeth. The nectar of the fruits is really good. Although why would they name such a creation, fruit punch? "No. I'm waiting for a new burger."

On the other hand, Niall was fond of the idea—wanted to be alone with Zayn without his friends always yelling stupid things. Zayn may not get it, but Niall understands the little teases that they do in front of them together, despises the way it makes his ears hot. "We'll just go for a walk."

As innocent as a walk between two people by themselves, it brought little eyebrows wiggles from Harry and Robbie scoffing at him. Everyone knew what Niall was trying to ignore for a while, a question and a feeling that ate him up inside every time he looked at Zayn. He pushed it away, though it didn't seem to go far since Zayn always seems to bring it back.

Despite the feelings he has inside of him, making his heart twist, making it hard to breathe sometimes, Zayn makes everything work out. He doesn't even know how much he’s telling Niall. He wonders not knowing how much it means to have something nice between friends because Niall hasn't had nice in his life for as long as Niall can remember. 

Even if the ideas of ruining something great between them start to flourish in Niall's mind, Zayn is someone who will prevent that from ever happening without doing so on purpose. Is he truly clueless or naïve? It feels wrong on Niall's tongue to say. Maybe he knows so much, Niall's just convinced himself because he's someone who hasn't felt what everybody on Earth has felt, he will never get to understand and know how humans work. He will be lying to himself this whole time, insulting Zayn by constantly telling him and thinking that he doesn't know anything. 

If he didn't know, he wouldn't have lasted this long on Earth before humans would eat his soul up, destroy him and make him a vessel.

And the teases from his friends—oh god—they don't even understand what's going on. They're the ones that are clueless—thinking Niall can just pick him up like a flower for his vase. He is a flower—just not one he can take from the field and own. He's a beautiful one that'll sway with the wind and grow on his own without borders put around him. He can't be the one to restrict him from freedom. No one should.

"Thank you for helping me with the box." Zayn says loud enough that Niall can hear him over the waves. "I am finished. Do you want it?" Kind of him to offer an empty box.

Niall laughs airily, shaking his head. "Not really."

"Hm..." Zayn hums, putting his thinking face on. "I will give you my burger if you take it."

"Depends which one." Niall looks back at Zayn who's watching his feet mould into the wet sand. He frowns when Zayn's jeans are getting wet. Since he's wearing shorts, he's able to get down and fold Zayn's jeans until they’re safe from the water rolling in.

"I am hungry so I will give you the overcooked one." Zayn lifts his foot, watching the sand pour over his footprint.

"I thought you loved me. You won't share with me?" Niall laughs. He's a bit insulted Zayn would do that to him.

"I do. I also love chicken burgers because it is the only meat we can eat on this planet." 

Niall makes a disapproving noise and scrunches his nose at Zayn. "Remind me when I have one cookie left—whatever the scenario is that left me with one cookie—that I shouldn't share it with you."

Zayn shakes his head. "Do not do that." 

"Then you better hold your juice box yourself." Niall tuts Zayn as he holds his wrist—not the hand with his garbage of course.

Niall starts to tug him so they can continue walking. They haven't made it far from the house—his stupid friends can still see them.

Shortly, they reach the part of the beach with the massive rocks on the shore. Niall starts to step on them until he's able to stand and lean back against a boulder, meters away from the ocean waves that are crashing just below his feet, splashing his face with salt water. He’s not sure why he’s come here; all he can hear are the crashing waves.

"Niall," Zayn calls his name and it sounds sweet coming from his lips. He starts to step over rocks, hoping he can be where Niall is. "How does it feel like to radiate like your solar's star?"

Niall's gaze found itself stuck on Zayn, overwhelmed by such sincerity he's never heard from anybody. No one says anything like that when nobody is outspoken like Zayn, free from fear and worry of letting his feelings be feelings, not a fleeting moment of emotion before anyone can bottle it up inside of them. 

"I don't know." Niall forces out a soft laugh as he watches Zayn pulling himself up onto the rock one away from Niall. "No one's asked me such a thing before."

That's all Zayn can see—even as the sun is setting and the air becomes cooler. He doesn't think he can never not see him as the sun. Even being around him brings him unimaginable warmth, growing from his chest that he has been feeling for so long and still he can't decide if that's real. Nobody can really do that, can they? Especially a human.

"Why not?" Zayn asks, watching the waves disappear between the rocks below their feet, resting both his elbows on the higher rock behind him like Niall is.

"I wish I knew, Zayn." A smirk appears on his face as he turns to look at his friend beside him. "All I know, it’s because you're different from everybody else so you see people differently."

"Because I am an alien." Zayn's fingers start to pick at Niall's bracelets around his left wrist. He lets the small beads and string weaving rub under his thumb.

"You're also purer than everybody else." Niall watches Zayn's fingers move from his bracelet to his palm as he turns his hand to rest on the back of his hand. He pulls Zayn closer towards him as he presses his thumb down just below the base of his fingers.

"Thank you." Zayn whispers, his lips barely moving at the syllables. 

"And you know I'll always protect Jesy, Griff, and you if anything happens." Nothing else would break his heart if they lost their hope and trust in Niall.

"Yes." Zayn nods, picking up Niall's hand. "I know so."

"I may not be able to protect you well from other aliens and tougher humans, but I'll still try."

"Because you are small and weak." For fun, Zayn starts to use Niall's hand against Niall's face—covering him from talking and seeing, patting his cheek. It's amusing to do because it's like Niall is a toy—a cute one.

"We're like the same height right now." Niall jokingly frowns at him.

"That is okay." Zayn mutters, bringing Niall's hand closer to him until his palm cups Zayn's face. And his eyes shut just as he rested his face comfortably in Niall's palm. "I can protect you too if you wish. If you would like that of me."

"I just want you to be Zayn." Niall's whispering between their faces—that's how close they are. His free hand is holding him from his waist and it feels really easy to do. Nobody else can make anything easier like Zayn can. "The one who likes banana jokes, enjoys the colour green, and the one who is fascinated by everything he sees and touches." Niall smiles to himself as he starts to think how lucky he is right now. 

Zayn lets his eyes open, staring into Niall's eyes because he can see green in them and it feels nice. "What's your favourite colour?" 

"I like blue." Niall looks down between them, hoping his thumb wasn't pressing down too hard on Zayn.

"I am blue." And he's proud.

"I know." Niall has seen his real figure—all 9 feet of it. Still hard to believe that he's got three of them living with him. 

"So you like me?"

"Yeah. Do you like me?"

"Yes. I tell you every day." Zayn frowns weakly at Niall. "Do you not hear me? Are your ears okay?" His hand touches Niall's ears just hidden under some hair. He starts to fold them in as Niall starts to laugh.

"I tell you every day too! Don't you hear me?" Niall should've taken a photo as it was his turn to fold Zayn's ears. He saw him smile the first time, his eyes squinting as the corners of his mouth curved, teeth peeking out between his lips. He was becoming red and evasive, shaking off Niall's fingers from touching behind his ear. That was the spot that makes him utterly weak.

"I do!" He starts to laugh quietly. Oh, it's the sweetest thing to ever grace Niall's hearing. It was like honey—thick and smooth. "I like your voice. I listen all the time."

"I like yours too."

"I do not want to hear anyone else. Just you."

"That's going to be a problem." Niall scoffs.

"How?" Does Zayn really not know that his throat could only handle so much talking before it starts to ache?

"What if they want to talk to you?"

"Speak for them."

"Zayn," He starts to laugh. "You sound crazy right now. I'll lose my voice if I speak for everyone. And sometimes, I don't really wanna talk."

"You talk a lot." Zayn points out. Niall's good at remembering that Zayn doesn't always sound as cold as everyone thinks.

"Only when I need to." Niall grins.

"Which is a lot. Like when you should speak for everyone so I can only hear your voice."

Niall shakes his head at Zayn, trying not to laugh at the idea again. "I think your food is getting cold. Weren't you hungry or did you forget?"

"You made me forget."

"Oh here we go." Niall rolls his eyes. "Blame me for everything." 

Even when he's blaming Niall, Zayn still keeps close by him when they go back to the house. And there, everyone's burgers were nearly on their way to being charred. Even with the wait time, Robbie still managed to burn the food. Sadly, nobody couldn't intervene or say anything more than what Niall had said—it was his house by the beach and he had fireworks all planned out in the night. It was necessary to celebrate their semester ending before school can take their freedom back again in three weeks. 

It was late enough to turn on the patio light by the sliding door. Nobody could even see the ocean anymore, but they can hear the waves roll into the sand. At that moment, Zayn almost felt like he's always been a part of something. Back home, life wasn't like this. His friends were guards and the palace workers. They were nice and kind to him, letting him work with them as he usually begged to take part in what they were doing, though it was discouraged. 

They look at him the same way as everybody else, a friend and a guest whose presence is enjoyed. Even Robbie, the man who seemed to dislike Zayn, sat with him at the table to start a game of bottle spinning—or spin the bottle; Zayn hasn't heard of it.

"Alright, I'll go." Jade jumps right into the game, spinning the bottle lying on the table.

It spins for a few seconds and Zayn watches it from the beginning until the bottle stops and the tip of the bottle is pointing at Niall's friend Harry.

"God..." Harry hisses with an unimpressed face. "Jed's gonna kill me."

Jade hides her face in her palms while Robbie explains to everyone, "Thumbs up for a kiss—"

"Cheek kiss." Jed intervenes.

"Alright." Robbie scoffs playfully. "And thumbs down for a big ol' slap on her face. Harry can't vote obviously."

Zayn grimaces as thumbs were turning. He looked at Niall's thumb, and slowly, his thumb went up as well.

"Open your eyes Jade." Niall tries to tap for her across the table. 

When she sits back up, Harry starts to slide out of the bench to get to where Jade's sitting.

"I'm really sorry." Harry winces.

"Oh! Who the hell voted down?" Jade scoffs, and she began to pout.

She shut her eyes, preparing herself for the worse that's to come. Slowly, Zayn understood the game. It wasn't his kind of game to play—nobody would ever play a game where the people would hurt each other. It was making his body tense, sitting and counting the seconds that the bottle would spin for until it may or may not land on him.

"Get him, Jed." Robbie starts to laugh. Harry kisses Jade on the cheek and it's very fast as if he didn't want to do it at all. It was only a kiss. For them, kissing allows them to learn the other language of the person they’re kissing. That’s usually the only time that they kiss.

"I didn't enjoy it, first of all." Harry reaches for Robbie's head, smacking him lightly. "So shut up, Roberto. I don't mind fighting you. I've been waiting, but your punk ass is always running away."

And this is where Zayn gets often confused—are humans going to really fight or is this actually their own way of affection? If so, Zayn wants to fight Jesy and Griff when he gets home.

The game continued and as it went on, Zayn kept thinking and thinking of ways to leave the game and hope that nobody would get angry at him. In his best interest to watch this exciting game however, he kept quiet and watched the hands of his friends smacking each other on the cheek. Sometimes, during the voting process, their stifled laughs and snickering gave it out. 

To be dramatic, Jed pushed the sleeves of his t-shirt up to his elbows. He and Harry took the whole space of the patio as it came their turn. Harry had his eyes closed while his lips began to quiver. He missed the way Jed spun and only felt the flat smack of his hands on his face, sending him to lose his balance. 

Humans found this amusing, Zayn found it rivetingly terrifying. 

"Go, Zayn." Jade leaned forward so she can see him.

"What?" He asks.

"Spin the bottle, dude." Harry nudges his chin at him.

"Okay. Dudey." He reached across the table, spinning the bottle set on the middle.

Just like the rest of the other times, they all waited. What only made it worse was Harry's humming as he rubbed his cheeks. It was blotchy even after two turns have passed.

"Ladies and gentleman! This is what we've been waiting for!" Jade shot out of her seat with Harry. They gave each other high fives while Zayn found himself holding his own cheek for Harry.

"Niall?" Zayn was confused. Well, he was fairly certain that the bottle was pointing at Niall who sat just adjacent from him on the other side of the table. His laugh was breathless, his eyebrows were raised up and narrowed in at the same time—he could barely look back at Zayn, though he was trying.

Zayn put his head down, letting his leg bounce under the table. Was he nervous or anticipating this so-called kiss the humans put so much meaning to? Maybe he can both shake in anxiousness and excitement since he already is, just thinking about the way it would feel to be kissed in the context of how the humans see it. They always perceive things so many different ways, it's hard to understand learn about them all in one day. He's been on Earth for many months now, seen the way humans kiss on television—it's intense and passionate with many touching. To Zayn, they're just being dramatic for show, just like the entertainers back home where the produce theatrical shows. It's only a kiss, nothing more.

"Okay, Zayn. You can open your eyes now." 

Everything was blurry once he opened them. He blinked a few times, rubbed his eyes so he can see well again. He got out of his seat because that's what they're all supposed to do—so the spotlight could be on them. 

Niall was standing in front of him, scratching his head, unable to stand still. He was edgy like Zayn. After one step forward, Niall held his face just like before at the rocks, it felt the same way just scarier with all of them watching.

"Just—close your eyes, okay? I don't want you to see it." 

"Okay." Zayn kept his voice low, and tried to hold his tone from sounding like a question. He trusted him at the bar where they first met, and he's going to trust him right—

"Ow." He blurts out in pain; immediately his faced scrunched up at the weird feeling on his cheek instead. 

It hurts, it itches, and he heard it louder from one ear—the smack from Niall's hand while the other one kept him from turning. Though the same hand that hurt him, was now soothing his skin. Maybe this was another kind of human kiss? Or this must be another type of affection—the fight to prove that he loves him.

"I'm sorry." Niall quickly apologized; he has a very worried look on his face as his thumb rubbed his cheek. "I wouldn't have done it. I would never wanna hurt you." 

"I am okay. I know." Zayn tries to touch the cheek that felt really hot—it might be even red. For certain, it didn't really hurt at all. The tolerance of his pain was larger than the humans—he grew up having tough skin. Although, being a human doesn't really help him out; their skin is the softest and most delicate thing he's ever felt. 

Zayn watched as people moved around him, holding tubes as containers with matches in their hand going down to the middle of the beach. He followed everybody down, held one of the packs of what they called fireworks and shook the container. Specifically, he only watched everybody from the corner of his eye, and only focused on Niall and his excitement for these little fireworks. He was laughing with his friends as they sorted everything of what they had in their pile, and it would come louder when they all make a run away from the tubes as it all shot out to the sky. 

It was a sudden crack and pop that startled him, hurting his ears as they exploded in the air. He held them shut with his hands and let his head fall back, watching one by one shoot like a rocket to the sky. And it was like a flower afterwards, blooming its petals in Spring. From such a small ball of light in the sky, it blew out and the little fires fell down from the sky like rain before they disappeared. It felt like they were going to come down on him. 

From rain, he saw the light swirl, shimmer and gleam, but it couldn't be more than the explosions of lights that often shot out loud like a bullet from a gun. 

He sat there the rest of the night, holding his shoulders, watching people fool about with each other. Though they looked like they were having fun, Zayn just wanted to sit and watch the people around him. Things made him curious, things made him wonder, things made him feel happy—though it left him an endless thought that night and his imagination was like clockwork seeing what he saw. And he'll think of no one else but Niall to show him the answers he wants to give him peace.

He was coming over to be with Zayn until he walked past him. He sat there anyway, liking how the night had lots of company and laughter.

Maybe he was wrong; to have felt his hand on his shoulder means he didn't leave him. He looked over his arm and saw the patterned sheet of blanket wrapped around him. He wasn't holding his shoulders anymore or pressing his lips together.

"Hello." Zayn watched the sparklers in people's hands twirl while Niall sat behind him and rubbed his shoulders warm.

"We can go home if you want. It's just before midnight." Niall knows how Zayn is if he isn't home soon when there's a party going on and he's not taking part.

"I want to stay longer, if that's alright." 

"Yeah. I'll be here, okay?" Zayn turns his head just enough to see Niall pressing his head against his—there's even his arm around his neck while his other hand grips his shoulder and Zayn's comfortable with this that he doesn't want him to leave or let go—or even both. 

He holds Niall's forearm across his neck, following down until he can hold his hand. "Okay. I shall be here too if you need me." 

"You know I mean like right here with you." He laughs in Zayn's ear, causing him to tilt his head to touch his shoulder. Too sensitive there—he'll start to smile and laugh and he doesn't want to right now.

"Why do you talk like you are about to fly away?" Zayn asks. “Humans cannot fly.”

"I don't know." He hugs Zayn tighter. "I felt like you were going to after I slapped you."

"I cannot fly." Zayn informs. The Iskalagan sadly don't have that means of transportation. They can run and jump really high—they can reach places not a lot of people can.

"I meant leave, like go away. The last time I hurt you, you wouldn't even look at me." Niall rests his head against Zayn, keeping his arms around him.

"I look at you now. That's all that matters." Zayn tells him. Right now, he was making exceptions for himself to watch the fireworks that captivated him from focusing on anything else.

"Mhmm." Niall nods. "How's your face?"

"Good good." He looks down to make sure he's still holding Niall's hand.

The entire night Zayn held his hand, even when he held it for so long, his palms becoming clammy—Niall didn't let him move at all. Until Zayn said they can go home, Niall was sitting on his knees the entire time, talking about his friends, telling stories about the many times they tried to shoot each other with fireworks or how Jade and Jed always seem to be in their own world so often that they don't even blame them for tuning them out—it's hard to find the connection that they have between one another, or so Niall says as the torturous thoughts of old strangers keeps coming back to remind him it will never happen.

But Niall knows the truth—he'll open his eyes one morning, rain or shine, a Monday morning or a Saturday night—he won't need the people he used to know anymore. He doesn't need his mind filled with ideas that always seem to remind him why he could never always make them stay. The reasons that lead them out his door are the same reasons why he's doing better—as he leaves, he takes the reasons with him, leaving Niall with a heavy heart but a loving one at that.

They got home late with the lights turned off. It was mere accident that Zayn almost tripped on Jesy’s cat. They should be asleep, not wandering in the silence of the dark.

Zayn shut his curtains, remembering the slit of light he sees in the morning as he wakes up. It's the first thing he sees, literally blinding him back from trying to go back to sleep again.

He usually wears this awfully hot sleeping attire Niall gave him to borrow. It was a whole suit he had zipped up to his neck. Sometimes, he'd wake up sweating, zipping out of the one-piece suit and kicking it down to the floor. He has another one which is gratefully a two-piece set of cotton pyjamas. He likes those ones better but they're both in his pile of dirty clothes. All he has is a white t-shirt on without any pants or shorts—just the briefs he's been wearing today.

"Goodnight Griff and Jesy." He hums quietly as he slips into his bed. They can't hear him but he likes to think that they do between these walls with their big ears.

"What about Niall?" Niall himself asks. Zayn pats down his blanket to see Niall standing by his door.

"Niall can have a goodnight too." Zayn scrunches up the blanket against his face, hiding a part of his face behind the folds of his thick cover.

"Can he sleep here tonight?"

"Yes. He can take my bed." Zayn peels the blanket off him just as he kicks his legs off to the side.

"No! Stay. This is your bed." Niall laughs quietly. "I just wanna join in—I like having you to wake up to, that's why I asked."

"Me too." Zayn agrees, slowly sliding back into his sheets.

"You can say no if you want." Niall lifts a brow. "I can go back to my room."

"No thank you." Zayn shakes his head and starts to pat on the space he was making for Niall. "Sleep here with me."

"Don't kick me like you always do then." Niall teases while he tucks beside Zayn.

"I do not do that." Zayn frowns to himself as Niall turns towards him, his hand just under his chin. His other hand idly holds Zayn's elbow.

Zayn couldn't sleep on the other hand. He was thinking a lot, more than ever about his entire life—what he has and hasn't done, what he hasn't seen so far on Earth that many of the humans dream of doing. The whole time he was staring at Niall who looked back—who wasn't interested in sleeping either.

"How did you like tonight?" Niall asks.

"Good. But everyone got a kiss except me." Zayn blinks slowly, his eyes trailing the shape of his hand. "Except Harry as well."

"I know. I was hoping you were gonna get one when the bottle—landed on me." Niall mutters, his foot rubbing back and forth in the sheet, often nudging Zayn's foot.

"Maybe next game." Just less people and less votes on slapping each other. "Do you think we can play right now?"

"We don't need to play." Niall starts to laugh. "It's easy."

"Easy. Yes. Easy." Zayn nods his head. "You make your lips—" He starts to force Niall's lips to pout out with his hand. "Right?"

"Wight." Niall mumbles incoherently—his cheeks are getting in the way of enunciating. Zayn won't let go, his lips are just going to pout out this whole time.

"I think I am incorrect." Zayn takes his hand back and begins to narrow his eyes. It's not like Zayn kisses every alien to know their language—this is the only alien planet he's been on in his entire life.

"It's okay." Niall chuckles until his hand is holding Zayn's cheek as he leans in closer while he rests his elbow on the bed. His imagination is running amok with the help of his eyes being able to look at his lips without being questioned. Both easy and hard as it is, Zayn's able to look at him in the eyes and wait—even as it feels wrong for Niall to do.

Zayn's eyes closed the moment Niall leaned in, forcing weird emotions in chest body to start bubbling up inside. Then they opened to a kiss on his forehead, Niall giving him a light touch before he moved off of him and settled back on his side of the bed. Zayn is feeling confused, and it wasn't like the other times. He got answers and choices that he made after guidance. For the first time, he doesn't have anything to help him make a choice. There were words he wanted to say but his tongue was being held back and it was silence from then on. Neither of them wanted to exchange any words, especially Niall when he's already got his back turned to Zayn. This is the one time Zayn doesn't want to ask him anything. Even without an answer to the questions haunting his mind, he already has an answer.

* * *

Another thing that these aliens have learned is, cats (not all, some) do not like being washed in the tub at all. Zayn nearly kneed Griff's cat as she flails her legs around—while he was taking a bath, the other two were putting the cats in.

"Stay in!" Jesy yells over the loud and obnoxious meowing. Zayn is sensitive to the loud cries of cats that he's holding both his ears.

"I cannot do this." Zayn grimaces. It pierces his ears as they drag along their cries. "They sound aggravating. I do not think they like water."

"So how do we clean them?" Jesy held her cat just inches off the water. He was dripping into the tub and Zayn is certain this cat has given his legs some scratches to deal with.

"They will clean themselves." Zayn bends his knee, glaring at the claw marks on his knee and below.

Zayn left to go to his room afterwards, still staring at the scratch marks on his legs. Feisty little animals, he's actually bleeding. He's never bled as a human before and he is certainly surprised that even in his human form, his blood is blue. Sitting on his bed, it really felt like such a slow day. He sat there combing his hair with his hand while he licked his thumb and pressed it over the scratches. Right before his eyes, they disappear and his legs are fine once again.

Niall could make his day go faster with human stories and he could even share some with him. Niall isn't available to share stories with and he's not sure if he wants to share anything anymore. What he felt yesterday, he didn't like how it made him feel heavy—like gravity was pulling him down. But enough about Niall or the weird thing he did yesterday on Zayn's forehead—he needs to learn why his blood is white still. Hitting the books like always, he needs to go to a place with lots of them.

They have libraries back home too. They just have a ton more books and their library is a giant place that could take a hundred years to go through—a labyrinth of knowledge. 

If anybody should know, the Iskalagan are all about acquiring knowledge, learning the secrets of the universe, and living a life where the aspect of balance is found between physical lifeforms and the environmental elements of the planet. The ancient Iskalagan's who live many miles away from civilization say the essence of the past Gods who were around are embedded in every fragment of crystal in their land. That would be the reason why balance is important, to be able to honour the ancient ways and live in harmony.

Zayn's managed to learn about the matter of his blood, even other parts of the human body like the digestive system, as it is alike of the Iskalagan—and it makes him wonder if eating tin is right for him. He arrives back home before dinner, a bouquet of flowers in his hand as he walks in. Someone gave it to him for free, mentioned something about having a long face, and how flowers will cheer him up. They are pretty though, from yellows to reds, it's like the ones Mrs. Smith has in her garden—the one who told the police on them.

"Hello." Zayn walks into the kitchen to see a box laid out on the counter, open to reveal what the humans favour over many things. He expected Jesy and Griff to be home so he can tell them about his day, but their presence is gone, leaving only Niall at home, standing by the fridge, pulling out drinks with one hand with his plate of pizza while one is settled between his teeth.

Niall let the slice drop over his plate and revealed a smile for Zayn to look at and decide if he should go to his room or go back out so he can leave Niall alone, since it's what he wants.

"Hi Zayn." Niall greets him.

"Hi." He says again.

"Nice flowers." The compliment forces Zayn to look at them again.

"Someone gave them to me." Zayn tells him. Hesitantly, he lifts his arm up to Niall, pushing the flowers towards him. "You should have them because your interior lacks of colour."

Niall puts both his plate and beer down on the counter and takes them from Zayn, quietly laughing. "It's called minimalism. And having no money.”

Zayn's read about that. "An art form that includes simplistic mundane shapes and colour such as white." He watches Niall cutting the bottom of the stems with scissors. "But the pretty colours remind me of you so I really want you to have them."

"Thanks." Niall smiles to himself when he stands the flowers up in a vase, filling it up with water until it reaches halfway and he sets it on the ledge of the window. 

"You are welcome." Zayn starts to sniff the pizza. The smell of Niall's dinner is strong. For some reason, his belly rumbles and he's feeling quite hungry.

Niall's hearing must be growing impeccable for him to go back to his plate and push it towards Zayn. He's got three slices on there with a very gooey topping.

"What is the pizza?" He reads from the box—'Domino's Pizza'. 

"If there's one thing humans did right, it's pizza." Niall can't be shocked that Zayn doesn't know what it is. "It's bread, tomato sauce, and cheese. It's usually a circle but I ordered the deep dish."

"Can I have one?" Zayn thinks it's safe enough if Niall's offering it to him.

"Yeah." Niall laughs, nudging the plate more. "Grab a plate and watch a movie with me. Just let me feed the cats first." They're practically digging their claws into Niall's sweats, climbing up his legs for food.

While Niall feeds the two kittens, Zayn is sitting down on the couch with the plate of his pizza slice and a paper towel over his knees, cutlery in his hand, while his eyes trail the golden colour of the crust, the melted cheese on top, and the red polka dot that decorate the top. 

Niall sits down beside him with all his things on the coffee table, pizza in his hand, crunching after each bite. Zayn takes a quick glance before looking back to his own slice. He stabs his fork into it, taking the knife and slicing himself a piece to eat. It's making crumbs all over—good thing he has the paper towel.

Slowly, he shoves the piece in his mouth and he tries to pinpoint the flavours he's chewing in his mouth. It doesn't have a real taste he can describe so easily. However, it's satisfying to eat with the way it crunches between his teeth. He also likes cheese now.

"I love it."  

"I let Griff take a bite out of mine and he spit it out." Niall shrugs. He's wearing glasses now—when did he have them? Zayn can't stop staring now. "Jesy didn't want to eat it after watching Griff, which means you're the only one who likes pizza besides me."

He snaps back to his dinner. "I do not like the red polka-dots though."

"Pepperonis." Niall laughs, and he leans closer to Zayn. "I'll take them."

"Must you eat it with your hand?" Zayn saw Niall eat it with his, and he's starting to think he's stupid for bringing cutlery with him.

Niall shakes his head. "Eat it your way. As long as you're eating."

"Okay." Zayn grips his eating utensils, and starts to cut himself a new piece. As long as he's eating, Niall said, due to the fact that he hasn't been eating right ever since he came to Earth. Niall must know that.

The movies Niall chose to watch out of the many movies playing on cable television is Footloose. It's not a product of a horror film which everybody knows, Zayn doesn't like.  Niall didn't realize Zayn would be home so early, and he didn't think the house would be just the two of them.  

Niall's already watched the old version, now he's only watching just to see how the remake is. Not wholly terrible, still got the aspect of fun that makes his knee bounce and head nod to the beat.

He might just be caught up on the silence and the music playing, but the idea really is genuine. "Let's dance, Zayn." He stands up right away, looking at Zayn's distressing grimace at him.

"What." He mutters.

Niall doesn't wait for Zayn's help to pull the coffee table away. He has it far enough Niall can wile out with Footloose playing.

"I do not know how to dance in such a way." Zayn frowns. "Is this pizza a mood enhancer? You had four slices. Is this why you want to dance?"

Niall bursts out laughing just as he pulls Zayn up from the couch. He grabs both his hands, pulling them back and forth, twisting his hips and bouncing his knees. He wants to laugh at the shock on Zayn's face, trying to puzzle things together. His eyes are bugging out of his head, trying to get a word out of his mouth. All that comes out is stammering and a hesitating attempt to let Niall sway and swing their arms together.

"N-Niall!" Zayn stutters right when Niall pulls him in and somehow, Zayn finds himself spinning. "I'm scared!" Niall spins him back the other way—now he's not scared.

That's the best thing about it—Zayn tries anyway and Niall knows it, even when he's yelling and whimpering, he can see Zayn's footwork trying to sync with his, stepping side to side, back and forth. Niall hasn't had real fun in a long time—despite forcing himself on this one, it eventually became real. Teaching Zayn just to follow his moves is fun in its on way, especially through the small moves like his bouncing knees and shaking shoulders means he's really getting into it.

"You're great!" Niall laughs.

"I am." Zayn drags breathlessly, eyes blinking fervently. "But I am tired."

"Okay." Niall pulls him into the couch until they're both sitting down slumping and melting in their seats. Niall's resting on the arm rest, catching his breath as he looks over on his side, swallowing at the sight of Zayn leaning onto him, still holding his hand and hugging his arm with the other.

"Goodnight." Zayn exhales tiredly. "No more dances."  

"You're awesome. Niall grins. He can feel Zayn's temple getting moist on his arm.

"No, no." Zayn shakes his head. "Very bad. No more dancing."

This is the first times he's ever disagreed on something with Niall. Hard to believe after everything. 

"I think you're really good. If you ever showed those moves to anybody, you'd steal their hearts." Niall laughs breathlessly. "Leave them wanting more of that talent."

"I only want your heart." Zayn squeezes Niall's hand, and he squeezes back.

"You already have it." Niall smiles faintly.

"Okay. Then that is it." Zayn waves his hand dismissively. 

"What about Griff and Jesy?"

"I cannot show them that. I am scared they will make fun."

"They love you, Zayn. I think they'd really appreciate it."

"Really?" 

"Yeah." 

Why wouldn't they? That's their prince. They cheered Zayn on for looking like a giant dryad-cat hybrid.

Since the movie finished already, Niall is only there to let himself be leaned on by Zayn. They were watching some criminal series now that Niall hasn't heard of, and it doesn't interest him enough to pay attention. There's just a shock when Zayn gets up without a word and Niall can finally sit up and look for a show or another movie that he knows of. He liked the weight on him, but it was too quick.

Out of the blue, a book is slipped into his lap and Zayn was back right beside him, cuddled as close as possible. Niall doesn't know what kind of book Zayn dropped off for him. It's made out of leather without a title, just some tree in the front. He flipped to the first page and a soft laugh fell from his lips.

"It is you, keby." Zayn points to the picture. It was Niall, back when he was just ten months old, sitting on his parents' bed, gnawing on the ears of his stuffed toy.

Each time he flips the page, the smile starts to appear more, seeing himself in a way he hasn't looked at himself with so much excitement. Are his cheeks still chubby as they were before? He can't say but he wants them back. 

Sadly, these weren't albums that he brought. They were here because of his grandparents who gave him the house. Out of all the people in their family, Niall would always come a long way just to visit his grandparents. There wasn't much to like about Miami at first, but it grew on him enough to stay.

Since they died a few years ago, they gave the house to him. There may be many rooms for people to bunk in but it was quaint and small. 

That's how his family pictures are around tucked in a couple of different albums. Niall wouldn't have family pictures in an album anyway. They'd be in his phone, despite the nostalgia he feels more looking through an old photo album.

"Thank you." Zayn mutters, looking at Niall as he shuts the book, shuffling just a few inches away.

"For what?" Niall grins lightly as he looks back.

"Letting me look through with you." There's a short glance at the album before he looks up at Niall again.

That brings a lot from the first time. "I'm sorry for everything." That meant snapping at Zayn, letting his temper get the best of him by getting annoyed at every little thing Zayn or Jesy or Griff would do.

"I forgive you." Zayn's expression is gentle, and everything about it, makes it hard to ignore or look away from.

Niall can't even understand why he was looking at him the way he was, letting his eyelids fall low over his eyes. He was leaning closer, keeping his hands in a tight fist in his lap.

* * *

"You alright?" Harry elbowed him gently to get him to peer off the take-out he brought for them to eat together. They're hold up in Niall's room, where he specifically wanted privacy with Harry today—meaning there aren't any interruptions by Zayn, Jesy, or Griff.

"I miss food." Niall tells him simplified. "The aliens I'm living with aren't a big fan of real food." Niall stabbed a piece of chicken with his fork until he realized that there's a problem that's going to come out of this.

"Aliens?" Harry looked at him with so much worry. "Niall?"

"I'm not making it up." Niall defends himself quite quickly, his voice hushed. Harry's expression is unchanging. "They're either purple, orange, or blue, 9 feet tall, and eat awful weird stuff like tin foil."

"I love you, but I can't believe that without seeing them myself." Harry laughs quietly. "And if they are aliens, let them eat your tin foil. Who cares?"

"All they do is play with cats, watch cartoons... Which is fine." Niall exhales. This is the first time he's letting everything he's got holed up inside of him. "Did I tell you I had to bail them out of jail because they were sleeping on my yard."

"Zayn is an alien? His good looks really are out of this world." 

"He's a prince! I don't know what he's doing here but I need a break."

Truth be told, Niall hasn't lived his only life without having one of them by his side to bring out. Everywhere they go, he has to hold their hands so they don't do anything stupid and dangerous. 

"I'd be honoured if an alien prince chose to live with me." Of course Harry would. He sees a lot of the good in everybody. Sometimes Niall's not on the same level so he's always not happy about the heavy positivity Harry carries with him. 

"I like him but they run my life now." Niall leans back, sighing out. “I don’t think I’ve done anything for myself in months.”

"Don't lie to me, you like having them around, especially Zayn." He can hear Harry laugh quietly and his face just softens.

"He's the worst of them all." He replies quietly. He felt Harry's staring burning through his skin. There may be fun between them all at home and out, and Niall may enjoy the endless company at home that keeps him somewhat entertained, but it isn't something he can keep doing. His life can't be run by aliens. 

The truth is catching up to him and it's quite ruthless the way Niall starts to frown to himself, smile at times when he thinks about Jesy and Griff's love for cereal and Zayn's talkative, yet straight face. They've given him so much to do, changed his way of life where they aren't any routines to follow anymore. No one won't understand and truly appreciate them like Niall truly does with all his heart. 

There is one thing that Niall hasn't lied about. Zayn is the worst of them all—he's managed to completely turn his insides yellow and every time Niall sees himself in the mirror, he can't recognize who he's looking at anymore.

* * *

Impeccable hearing is a marvellous ability humans don't have. Zayn learned a human's physical heart is the organ that pumps the blood with oxygen to make it red. Blue cells of the blood are without oxygen. And with that, Zayn doesn't want an organ heart or this metaphorical heart humans have. Ever since he ‘got' it, there has always been explainable pain. It doesn't make him want to yell, it doesn't inflict any physical deformation or pain, it just hurts quietly inside of him. And he doesn't want it anymore.

He went to the living room where Jesy and Griff were. They greeted him until their voices faltered. For the first time, they too began to see inside of Zayn and truly understand that there is something not right. Even their faces were long and lifeless—they must have heard as well. However, they didn't have anger buried inside of them like Zayn already has after hearing Niall and he was taking it out in Jessy and Griff.

"I was never told why we came here to Earth." Zayn starts lowly, crossing his arms at them. His face is deadpan as he stares at them, hoping to see their pupils change and direct themselves somewhere else. "I would like to know."

Without coming to Earth, Zayn wouldn't have learned the pace of the human's heartbeat and the way it sounds deep within their chest. He wouldn't have realized that love is an emotion his home needs to embrace and accept, give it a name. It sounds great at first until the amount of pain he’s been feeling outweighs everything. 

"We swore to the king not to say anything." Jesy replied quietly, her eyes looking at Griff for help.

"I am not asking again. What are we doing here?" Zayn's voice starts to rise.

Neither Griff nor Jesy opened their mouths to answer Zayn. They have a sad look in their eye that just makes Zayn angrier instead. He is already at what he thought was his end, now it seems like there's more to what he can feel.

Zayn turns around instead, marching right to the closet where he yanks his jacket right out, letting the hanger fall to the ground. Since nobody was saying anything, aside that the only thing he can hear is Niall's certain discontentment about their presence in his house, Zayn doesn't have to say anything either. He answers to no one. They can say that he does not know anything and the best thing he can do is to let them believe it.

* * *

Seeing how it’s midnight, he knew Niall wouldn't be pleased. He's never been pleased with anything. Whatever this Todd did to Niall, Zayn knows how it feels because he's finally on the other side. Though, not knowing where else to go, Zayn went to the beach just beside Robbie's house where the rocks are. It was dark but from his hand, he could feel the rugged surface of the large rocks and the smaller ones below his foot. He can feel the water splashing on his cheek as he tries to get a few steps farther. Pulling himself up the rocks, he sat there for the rest of the night, hoping he'd wake up and find himself back home in Iskalag Karrocerise.

All these stars, sparkling through the night sky triggered something in him. All of them were so far away, and there were so many that he couldn't count any without counting the same one.  But they were spelling out the truth—there is nowhere that he feels like he truly belongs. 

There is no place to call home; using a human's personal definition which is much more significant than the literal meaning. Home to him feels strange and empty. Earth could have been the first thing bringing him close to saying it was until he figured out that everybody he knows is lying to him. Whether it be why they're here or how much Niall never wanted him around in the beginning, they were all factors to a sad realization that brought him to not want to belong anywhere.

He leans back until he is lying down on the uncomfortable surface of the rock, watching the moon as the stars twinkle everywhere. For a long time that Zayn spends his time staring, clouds that covered the moon are passing by until the moonlight covers his body. Whatever the time is now, he's lost track of it. It's still dark and the waves are loud, so loud that he can't hear himself think. His mind has drawn to a complete blank that he isn't affected by the sky getting bluer and bluer by the hours and minutes that keeps passing by him. Is it morning now? It would be time that he should go somewhere else, if he knew what direction would take him far away from everybody.

And though he may hate everyone now, what will happen if he doesn't anymore? He can hear Niall saying his name and something so simple is already making him want to go home. And he even remembers Jesy and Griff showing their kittens to him with so much pride and happiness. He shouldn't have been interested, yet he was—they are his friends for nearly 300 years, not mere bodyguards hired to protect him. He grew up with them after all. 

"Zayn?" A soft voice calls to him. It wasn't in his head, he isn't making it up. There is a flashlight on him, blinding the side of his eyes. He turns his head away, not being able to see anything else but the sea and the sand on the other side. How Niall found him is all he wants to ask, but he avoids the discussion. Zayn can see his eyes are low, dark from under as he jogs towards him. 

"I do not want you here." Zayn mutters quietly, but there is still the anger he has lingering in his chest. "I do not want you anywhere near me because I do not like it when people lie to me, I do not like it when people pretend, and I do not like you, Niall."

Go figure. Niall didn't listen to his hurtful yet understandable words. He put the flashlight on the large rock before pulling himself up to sit beside Zayn. Once he's picked the flashlight up, he turns it off and Zayn turns his head back facing the sky. Niall's aware he's said some things that isn't anything to be proud of. He couldn't help it. From time to time, it was something that really bugged him. At the end, he always finds himself loving every bit of the company he has in his house. 

Ever since his grandparents gave him the house, he's always lived by himself. Harry came by but he would leave and the house would feel cold. Todd would come but he was just someone who never loved him the right way. His parents can never find the time to come visit him. They work hard back home at the inn, nobody to lend their trust to long enough they can catch a holiday. It's always been lonely, but it isn't anymore. It was time to accept it and really appreciate what he never asked for to come into his life. All it brings out is his bitter emotions. With these special people in his life, especially the one he spent searching for all over Miami, Zayn is always there to remind him that he can let go and be happy if he wants to. And he does.

"Zayn, everything I said about you was a lie and I know that's one of the reasons you ran away, and I'm so sorry I said those things."

Zayn couldn't believe it—apology after apology, when will Niall ever really mean it? He is fully aware when Niall told Harry how much it annoyed him that aliens were living in his house. The walls aren't thin to his alien ears. Why do humans hate them? All that's ever gone through his mind is the constant voices of being clueless. He had read so many books, Iskalag Karrocerise may not qualify him to be one of the great scientists but he knows so much about Earth and every aspect of its elements. 

"When I said you were pure and filled with so much love, I wasn't lying." Niall explains, swallowing the clenching pain in his throat. "I said things that were hurtful about you and your friends. I said them, I know, but I never meant any of it."

"I said I do not like you. Why are you still here?"

"Because you need to know that your friends never wished to hurt you too. Jesy and Griff have done all that they can just to protect you." Niall turns his torso just a bit so he can take Zayn's hand. Expecting it to flinch, he must be making progress for Zayn to keep his hand where it is. He doesn't need to react and that's okay. "They will tell you when it's the right time to. You may not hear what you want to hear but they love you, and they'll be there for you."

"I just want to know..." Zayn mumbles quietly. He's been left in the shadows wondering and wondering why. It's been five months. Back home, this would be fifty years.

"Whatever brought you here, it might not be the best reason but I'm glad it did." Niall smiles at Zayn, even when he isn't looking Niall's way.

"But you said I was the worst." That might have hit Zayn the most. No one ever said anything so scary and shocking as being the worst person Niall has ever had to go and live with.

"You are the worst.” Niall holds his hand tighter, even when Zayn isn't holding back. “But not like that.”

"Why?" Zayn frowns weakly. He's getting mixed signals and as an alien, it's also very confusing for him to know what the truth is.

"You made me believe in something I didn’t really think exists." Niall takes in a deep breath, turning his head to look at him when he shuffles back on the rock he can sit and cross his legs.

"That aliens exist." Zayn finally turns to look at Niall.

Unlike Zayn, Niall could never hold a gaze with Zayn. Bright, glistening eyes that makes him feel all tight inside—he can't hold that with anybody. "N-no. Actually, you made me believe that there’s goodness in love—that love is supposed to be good.”

Zayn tries to sit up so he can easily ask Niall what he means. But he hears his name first, a quiet voice from lips that looked like they barely moved. Something tells him there is a problem again, the way Niall avoids looking at him.

"Yes?" Zayn stares at every part of his face. He still won't look.

"When you asked me to kiss you, I knew you wanted a lot more than what I gave you." Niall presses his hand on his temple. "But I couldn't do that to you."

"You do not love me anymore. That's okay." Because even if he doesn't, the important thing he loves Niall—that's something a person needs the most. And he didn’t mind it—he was only an alien after all. Until he’s able to leave, hell always be here for Niall. Even if he does irritate him from time to time.

"No, that's the thing." Niall swallows. "I do." 

Zayn blinks, letting his legs swing back and forth, his heel hitting the rock. "Me too."

"It's different though, Zayn. The way I love you, i-it’s romantic love." Niall wants to hear words that make him giddy and smile big enough he can't see anything. With Zayn, he doesn't need to ask or say it out loud to him when the things he says without holding back on his tongue are all the things he wants to continue hearing. "I'm not scared to tell you that, but I'm scared that I'd change the way you look at the world and how you look at yourself once I told you. I don't wanna look at you any other way than who you are now."

"Why?"

"I love you the way you are. I like that you smiled for the first time, but I love that you don't. That's your thing. I know you're happy even when you've got a straight face on. You get excited for the smallest things and you're not afraid of anything. You enjoy everything that’s in the moment and it's beautiful." Niall laughs, knowing those would be something he wants someone to see in him—admire the excitement that would surely flow out if he ever had a heart like Zayn. 

Even listening to him babble on, Zayn does it with so much respect. Something about his gaze makes him want to be honest and sincere, confess what he's been keeping inside of him all this time ever since Zayn said he liked his heart.

With the confidence stirring in his chest, Niall finally found himself looking back. "I guess what I'm really trying to say is that you're who you are and I don't want to take that away from you. However you love me, it might be different from the way I love you and I don't want it to change. Even if I love you more than as a friend, it's just something I can't help."

"You love all that about me?" Zayn raises a brow. Normally, those are just things he does that he can't help. It would be better if he can walk on both his hands or do a magic trick, then Niall will really love that about him. “Human customs really do elude me.”

"Why wouldn't I?" Niall queries softly.

"Well, they are just regular things, keby." Zayn explains, narrowing his eyebrows together. "Back home, to impress the one you want to court, you have to prove yourself worthy through agility, intelligence, and strength."

"Do you wanna court me?" Niall laughs under his breath.

"Of course. I would swim around the world for you and kill Earth’s mightiest beasts, the mosquitoes, for you.” Zayn hums quietly, pondering to himself. He looks up at Niall, this time it isn't straight like he's always able to do before. "Not only that—your body is always warm, and when you sleep, it makes me comfortable. You cook pretty looking things, dance funny, and do so much for your friends when you don't have to considering we are intelligent species that can get by ourselves through adaptation.”

"Zayn, what are you doing?" Niall starts to push his eyebrows together, hide the smile that wants to burst out. "You don't have to say these things."

"I must so you can shut me up by kissing me like in the romantic movies." Zayn shakes his head, leaving Niall completely stunned. "Anyway, you are quite intelligent yourself. And I suppose you are funny too and say stuff that raises my body temperature. As well—"

Niall couldn't hear him ramble on anymore, being too occupied by the sudden pressure over his lips that seem so familiar. It was like the first time, yet nothing so brief and cold compared to how he feels it now. Are his senses supposed to heighten? His hands want Niall’s to hold and the voice in his head tells him he should. 

One by one, he's trying to single out everything he feels in this exact moment. He likes the wet tinge between their lips, not the presence of space between the two of them, but he definitely likes that this is happening so slowly. What would happen if Niall did something else? He would be left to wonder what that new feeling is, see if he likes it or not when all he wants to do is what he certainly likes—keep kissing Niall even if it seems unending or unchanging.

It stops all of the sudden, nothing disappointingly abrupt for Zayn's taste. The soft and barely unnoticeable breath between his parted lips is still there, lingering between the speck of space left from their lips.

"You okay?" Niall wants to make sure. He went for as long as a minute without taking some time for air; he can only imagine how it’d be for Zayn. He would probably be okay—he doesn’t even need to breathe. Chuckling quietly, he pulls back. "Have you been watching romantic movies with Griff?"

Zayn looks up to think. "Yes. And yes." He answers with a nod then he kisses Niall on his own, pressing them over his lips just for a short second, Niall barely able to pout his lips back. "It is quite informative.”

“What else have you learned?”

Zayn lowers himself down until he's standing on the rocks again. Quite slippery with the high waves at night. “Uh, that I am not supposed to eat an orange with the peels or tin foil in my human form."

Rolling his eyes in a playful manner, Niall goes down too, carefully trying to make his way back to the sand so they can go home. It's nearly half an hour past five. Zayn has been here all night just sitting here. “It’s not recommended.”

"It is also not recommended for you humans to eat pizza all the time.” Zayn takes a big leap off the rock, landing right beside Niall. "Yet you do all the time."

"Well, is there anything better than pizza?” Niall asks.

“Yes. Apples.”

Niall sneers at him before walking away. “Goodbye.”

* * *

Getting home, Zayn is surprised with fruity pebbles with tin foil inside, prepared by Griff and Jesy who stood by the island counter with aprons on and a big smile. Cautiously, he sat where the bowl was, staring at the bits of tin foil in the milk. It looks great and he's really starving after leaving tonight with no dinner.

He looks up at them. "Thargriff and Yharthajes, I—" And his eyes follow them back down to the floor where they're bowing down to him.

"We are sorry!" They exclaim.

"Do not apologize." Zayn plays with his spoon in the bowl. "It is alright."

"It is?" Griff mutters, looking a Jesy.

"Yes." He gives a firm nod. "I lost my temper. I'm fine now."

"You know, my prince, this television provides remedy for tempers. It's called yoga." Jesy smiles wildly at Zayn while Griff nods behind him.

"Funny name." Zayn shoves a spoonful of cereal in his mouth. Niall looks up from the bowl he's beating his eggs in, just to snort to himself. There have been far more funny names of animals Zayn has been uttering than the word yoga. 

Niall makes his own breakfast, as he's getting sick of the endless bowls of cereal Jesy and Griff keep making. Once, Jesy put rose petals that she stole from Ms. Smith's garden into a bowl of Nesquik and gave it to Niall to eat. Rose is a weird flavour to have had in his mouth and he doesn't like it. He's making the whole group—toast, omelette, hash, and sausages. He deserves a breakfast like that after dedicating the whole night to look for Zayn. 

He's glad he got everything out of his system. It was difficult to keep it in his chest without letting Zayn know how he feels, despite the different pages that they're on. He can look at Zayn, smile and think to himself how cute he looks attempting to do yoga.

Breakfast put Niall to sleep while Zayn is still wide awake, not worrying about the state of his fatigue. He isn't going to be spending all his energy in a half-hour yoga show when he isn't flexible himself. Instead, he eats the rest of the cereal they made for him as Jesy plays with the kittens and Griff looks outside the window.

"Is something wrong?" Zayn finds Griff's behaviour to be odd.

"Are we friends?" Griff turns things around and questions him instead.

"Yes." Zayn answers truthfully. "Me, you, and Jesy have always been together. You have always been looking out for me. I do the same for you.”

"Then you should know, as your friends, that is all that we have done for you. That is why we are here on Earth."

"We are talking about this now." Zayn looks down at his bowl.

"Zhayïn, there was always something different about you from the rest." Jesy joins in, letting the kittens wrestle in her arms. "Everybody in the royal line knew this. Many people knew of this."

"Your life has been in danger ever since you were born. And the only way to keep you safe was to keep you isolated, take you somewhere far."

"Safe from what?"

"The Iskalagan themselves."

"Why?" Is that why he was always trapped in the palace and only allowed out behind the palace walls.

"A regular Vida Pedra provides life, your stone provides the gift of immortality."

Jesy explains. "It's why your parents have always kept you safe with us."

Zayn looks away from them, unsure if he's okay with this or not. Danger did always follow him around, whether he wants to admit it or not. He can remember the faint memories of being taken to another chamber of the palace, before watching the guards run around the perimeter of the palace. It was always for him.

The Iskalagan have always been known to live forever. When energy is abundant, they can live as long as the average human lifetime, three times. And once they die, they're gone forever. Over the course of time, memories of lost Iskalagan tend to disappear; since their spirit from Iskalag Karrocerise is gone, so are they. Their voice will disappear from their minds, their face will slowly fade away. That's what real death is like for Iskalaglans, but not for the prince.

For Zhayïn, his spirit will continue on to another life, people will remember his name, remember him as the prince with the remnants of the past gods inside his Vida Pedra, where many have put their lives at risk the moment they tried to take it for themselves. It'll be reincarnated as a new being at the end of Zhayïn's time.

"Thank you." Zayn mutters quietly. "For telling me."

"How do you feel?" Griff lifts a brow.

"I would say I am afraid but I am not." There was no reason to fear the people that lived millions of years away, especially when his friends have always stayed with him to make sure nothing happened. He's still metaphorically breathing. “Our time on Earth has taught me a lot of things.”

"If you still wish to go home, we can." Jesy rubs her wrist and Zayn looks up at her. “It will be at our risk.”

Home? He can finally go home? It was an idea that he never thought would come true. 

Zayn nods. "We will be fine. Make the plan.”

* * *

Christmas down south doesn't feel like the winter holiday that anybody sees in the movies. Niall misses the snow that used to be up to his shins back home, even the frigid cold that would get him sick for two weeks. Here in Miami, Christmas is wrapping lights around palm trees. Waking up Christmas day to a cup of hot chocolate is replaced with orange juice. That might just be in the movies, Niall never did any of that. He woke up, greeted his family, ate, thanked his parents for the presents and avoided the relatives to socialize with his cousins by playing video games, and went back for the food. 

There isn't dinner over Mrs. Smith's house this year. He's going to give that time up to host his own Christmas day with his friends. The idea of Christmas is slowly coming to them—Griff couldn't handle the massive lines and arguments at the grocery store until Niall explained that it's just the Holiday fever. At least now, Griff's able to go shopping if Niall can't. He's learned the key to shopping.

"I found this." Zayn told him just a few days before Christmas and handed him wrapped present. "Here you go."

"How did you find this?" Niall narrowed his eyes at Zayn. 

"It looked pretty so I picked it up." The box was wrapped in glittery paper. Of course it was.

"This was in my closet." 

"Oh yes. I found it there when I was hiding. I almost sat on it." Zayn looked at the box, regretting that he even came close to sitting on it.

"Why were you hiding?" Niall continued to ask.

"Jesy wanted to cut my hair." Zayn told him with a slight sad look on his face. It's long enough that it covers his ears and he can have a whole fist of hair if he puts his hand through; it even curls at the end, just little flicks that makes his hair look messy even when he combs it with his hand.

"I like your hair like this." Niall played with the little curl from the side of his head. "It's very nice."

"Thank you." Zayn replied timidly, and his shoulders pick up—an adorable way to be flushed by compliment. "Bye."

"Bye Zayn." Niall laughed and went on his way to look for a new spot for the presents. 

They were now hidden in the oven. No one would ever dare to cook anything unless they asked Niall beforehand. That never happened because they don't know how to cook in the first place.

Come Christmas morning—9:30am to be precise, Niall wakes up to Zayn sleeping beside him. Always looking peaceful when he's sound asleep. That's a shame.

"Merry Chris—oh!" Niall shouts right into his ear. Zayn wakes up startled hanging off the edge of the bed. With Niall's quick reflexes, he pulls him in by gripping his shoulder arm and pulling him in until his face is planted into the pillow.

"Niall!" Zayn huffs, blinking fervently. "Why did you yell at me?"

"It's your first Christmas!" Niall laughs. "I'm going to yell at Griff and Jesy too."

"Okay." Zayn peels his face off his pillow and shoves his face right into Niall's face. "Joyful Christmas to you!”

Niall's head falls back onto his pillow. He's not sure if he's laughing because he's so happy it's Christmas or the fact that he gets to spend it with people who have never celebrated such a holiday before. Or it might also be the fact that Zayn's genuinely annoyed, as he laughs at his pouted lips and grimace.

He pushes himself back up just to press Zayn back down, pinning him down on his back with his torso.

"Be nice. Naughty people don't get presents."

"Sorry, Niall." Zayn blinks as he continuously gazes up at Niall's really blue eyes. "I do not deserve a present. I was mean."

"No you're not." Niall frowns. He can see Zayn believing that he is the way Zayn looks away from him. "You deserve many things."

"Like apples?" Zayn looks back at him.

"Yeah. Like apples." Niall laughs quietly. Glad his banana phase is over. He moved through bananas, strawberries, and now apples. "And kisses."

"Wow." Zayn drags his breath and amazement on. "Good good gift."

"Okay. I'll get it for you. Stay here." Niall laughs. He gets off of Zayn and runs out of his room.

Zayn waits a while until waiting feels like forever because Niall doesn't come back after a minute. He gets up from the bed, looking down at his Star Wars shirt and boxers that he slept in. Still waiting, Zayn wipes off the fuzz in his shoulder and straightens his shirt. He even pulls down his boxers until they're snug around his hip and covering enough of his thighs that he doesn't feel naked.

Niall finally comes back after three minutes, stopping right when he enters his room. He shakes his head and walks right up to Zayn where he tells him to close his eyes. Shutting them tight, Niall takes his hand and drops something in his palm.

"What is it?" Zayn looks at the weird shape. He holds it by the slip of paper with his thumb and forefinger.

"It's a kiss." Niall grins as Zayn analyzes the piece of chocolate.

"Oh." Zayn looks deeply at the slip of paper and its red and white foil. Zayn slowly slips it the entire thing in his mouth and pushes it to the right where a bump shows through his cheek.

"Uh, sweet, right?" Niall can see Zayn trying to move it around his mouth. Hopefully he can taste it even with the foil on.

"Yes." Zayn smacks his tongue, pondering as he figures out the taste. Then he looks at Niall, serious like he has to explain something. There's even a step forward when he points to his mouth. "But I like _your_ kisses better. They are way sweeter and nicer. When will I get that?"

"Aw." Niall breathes out, smiling softly at Zayn. "You're ruining the joke. In a good way."

"It was a joke?"

"Yeah. I left to brush my teeth, but I figured you'd laugh when I bring out the kisses chocolate instead."

"Oh." Zayn sounds excited enough Niall knows he's finally got it. "That is quite funny. But," Zayn pauses. "When am I getting those kisses?" Zayn's whole face is directed at Niall's lips. "I really like them a lot more." He scratches his head afterwards.

"Me too." Niall laughs and grabs Zayn by the nape and waist, pulling him right in his arms. Zayn's got his hand on the curves of Niall's waist, slowly learning he can hold Niall too. Niall pushes his lips tenderly between Zayn's, and they fit perfectly that Niall can just kiss him forever. He has a grin between the kisses, pulling back just so he can push them back again, feel Zayn do the same thing.

He's getting at that point he's letting his lips fall open just a little bit enough Niall can feel a wet tinge over his lips. It was soft at first, but Zayn's letting his walls down and pushing for their lips to really fit together. And Niall doesn't mind that he takes his time—he's actually the one following Zayn's patterns now.

Yet Zayn is the one that pulls back, still keeping his arms around Niall's waist. "I am good now."

"Enough sugar?" Niall chuckles under his breath.

"No." Zayn replies flatly. "My belly is making weird noises."

"Alright. Let's wake Jesy and Griff."

* * *

In the spirit of Christmas, they all watch Home Alone with snickerdoodle cookies and milk as their movie snack. All of them were wearing their Christmas sweaters—the typical badly designed image on their torso that Niall got for all of them. Zayn has on Rudolph the red-nose reindeer, its nose is sticking out over his belly. It isn't interesting without Zayn and the little kittens wearing reindeer ears over their heads.

Jesy's is far more excited with the Christmas Tree. The lights and the star actually light up so she's sitting beside Zayn and Griff, blinking like the real tree they decorated earlier. It's leaning but it'll be fine. Hopefully. If nobody breathes on it.

Then there's Griff with his Santa Claus beard and hat on while the Santa on his sweater has white puff sticking out for its beard. There are little bells decorating his boots, and whenever Griff moves, they jingle, and the cats start to turn their way. It doesn't help when Niall moves either with his elf sweater, that he jingles too.

"When we go back, we must show everyone this movie." Griff laughs, slapping his knee.

"You're going back home?" Niall mumbles.

"Soon." Jesy answers. "When the prince is ready."

Niall looks down at his sweater. "Oh." 

After so many months, it slipped from his mind that they were never going to stay here. This whole time, he forgot that they were supposed to stay here just until they found somewhere else to go. But that didn't happen when Niall's got them wearing Christmas sweaters, as if this is something that would happen again.

He can't keep them here. It's not right for him to do. Their lives are extremely different from one another and they've been here just long enough to call it quits and head home. Keeping them here is wrong—wanting them to stay doesn't make him a villain.

So why does he feel like the worst person in the world right now?

* * *

It's hard not to think about when Niall is mentally preparing for the day to come where they tell him that they'll be going home. Each day that passes by, grows closer to that moment in life where Niall will feel all alone again—just like the time he left his family to live in his grandparents' home.

If there was one thing he had to show them for the last time, it would be the zoo where they'll finally see the different kinds of animals the world has.

"Where are your grotesque animals?" Griff asks by nudging Niall.

"Well. These are Komodo Dragons." They're known to be the biggest lizards on Earth. Lizards alone, any size are disgusting and ugly enough. "They can eat massive animals like buffalos. They’re vicious."

"Oh no. They're actually quite adorable." Griff giggles. "The palace back home has a few of them that are just like that. They're fond of the chin scratches."

"Uh-uh. You're crazy." Niall scoffs.

"To catch their prey, they expose their luminescent neck flappers to attract them." Griff explains a Mhika Raegön—their equivalent to a Komodo dragon. "My enemy was eaten by one of these."

"I'm sorry about that." Niall's unsure if he really is.

"I don’t remember what happened but I read how he told me that my mother is nothing but useless." Griff grimaces. "Now he's dead forever."

"Are they still cute?" Niall laughs.

"Yup." Griff smiles at him.

They left the reptiles and went down to the birds. There were toucans and parrots, and in particular peacocks that Jesy and Zayn were so amazed of. As it opened its tail, that's all they wanted to look at. For an entire hour that they stayed around the birds, they've seen its tail open at least three times.

Jesy's real favourite were the seahorses. 

"They're so tiny and they bounce!" Without arms or legs to move, they do look like they're bouncing to get to where they need to. Aside the seahorses, the coral reef and starfish alone were amazing enough for her.

"Do you have any of those back home?"

"No! I wish." Jesy grins at Niall. "They remind me of you."

"That's great. I'd love to be a seahorse."

"My seahorse. I'd name you Nähracore." Jesy links her arm with Niall.

"What does that mean?"

"Hm... Nothing." She shrugs. "It just sounds cool." 

Better something that means nothing than a name that means something horrible and negative. Hearing his friends talk about animals similar to the ones back in their planet really proves how much they truly love their home. They could never miss the opportunity to always tell Niall about Iskalag Karrocerise.

Never did Niall expect Zayn to enjoy the elephants the most until they got to their spot. Niall forgot how massive they were compared to humans. 

"They are affectionate and emotional creatures." Zayn tells Niall. "I have read about them. They are animals that can cry, just like humans."

"So I've heard."

Zayn continues to explain to Niall. "The herd consists of many elephants, high as 500. And they will always protect the mothers and newborns from danger." 

"That's amazing."

"What's your favourite animal?"

"A polar bear." Niall grins. "They have small ears so they won't freeze."

"They live in the cold?"

"Yeah. Their skin is black so they can absorb heat from the sun, but their fur is transparent and waterproof, keeps them dry and warm as it traps air." Niall shares the one fun fact he knows about polar bears.

"You should get one.

"That's illegal." That's not even his legitimate reason why he can't and shouldn't.

"Never mind." Zayn watches the elephants while Niall listens at Jesy and Griff gushing over elephants. They've been gushing over every animal and it's nice that they're having fun.

Once they're back home again, Niall's back up in his room to be alone. He thinks about what he can do now after they're gone and there aren't a lot for him to do than to miss them because he's allowed to.

Zayn wants to go home and he can't stop that from happening. He's the prince, and it's the same way here on Earth—the people need them in some way.

Speaking of the prince, his friend has impeccable timing as she knocking on the door before she can let herself in and look at Niall's empty gaze down at the floor.

"Is something wrong?" Jesy sits down beside him.

"No." He shakes his head.

"You're like the elephants." She holds his hand over Niall's lap.

"I'm really okay." He wipes his face with the other hand. "I'm just thinking about what'll happen after you guys leave."

"Oh." Jesy mutters despondently. 

"Yeah." Niall nods. "It's... Fine." Then he sits up from his bed, putting his hands in his pockets. "It was eventually gonna happen."

"Yeah." Jesy agrees quietly. "But we can always come back. It's not an easy journey but we can. We would do anything for you, Niall."

"Really?" 

"Of course. You've been so kind to us. I've met many people here but no one is as kind as you." Jesy plays with his hair, pressing his fingers between a strand. "That's why the prince likes you a lot. He likes everyone but he likes you the most."

"I'm not kind." Niall admits. "I just like you guys very much."

"That's good enough for me."

"When would you be leaving?"

"Tomorrow." Jesy answers.

"So soon."

"It's a long journey."

"Makes sense." 

"You've really taken good care of us. I don't think we can repay you."

"Just come back." Niall kisses her cheek.

Her smile was the promise that they would. With Zayn avoiding him, it's not something unexpected out of him. Out of everything that Zayn's done, that's the one thing Niall understands the most. He's done it himself so many times, afraid to say goodbye when it's necessary. 

Griff on the other hand, as tall as he already is, tries to hug Niall without crushing him or pinning him down. He's not afraid to cry but Niall was until he realized that it was because he'll miss them so much and it's nice to be able to have someone to miss. Niall cries with him so he doesn't have any left when Zayn comes out of hiding.

What's worse is it's new year's eve and they'd be leaving on the first day of the year. For Niall, that's a terrible way to start the year. As always, it isn't a new year's celebration without a party. And they could do without Niall this one year.

He has his own party. All the alcohol is for him while the many boxes and jugs of juices were all for them to do as they please. As long as they don't spray it around like champagne over his carpet. And they have the ball dropping to watch.

"Jesy, wanna see how many juice boxes I can eat in a minute?" Griff asks with a grin.

"Yes!”

"Oh god." Niall mutters before he walks away with the chicken wings. Apparently nobody likes chicken wings either—what's wrong with the Iskalagans?

There was only about ten minutes left and Zayn's been up alone in his room since lunch. He's with company actually—a stuffed elephant from the zoo that he got yesterday. Her name is Ollie and he might be in love with it more than Niall now.

"Zayn?" Niall knocks on his door before he walks in with his plate of chicken wings. He's lying in bed, hugging Ollie. "You don't mind that I eat here do you?"

"No." He mutters and moves his legs so Niall can sit.

"The ball is dropping soon." Niall croons. "And Griff is eating juice boxes right now while Jesy watches. I might have puked if I stayed."

Zayn cries out of nowhere—not screaming or sobbing, but the tears roll down his face as he looks at Niall. Now he wants to cry again, and Niall hates that his breath smells of buffalo wings sauce. That's not cute at all.

Even his fingers are sticky, but he wipes them with a tissue before he rests next to Zayn and pulls him in.

"It's alright." Niall mumbles.

"I do not like crying." Zayn whimpers into his shoulder, sniffling as chokes out a gasp.

"It just washes your eyes." Niall laughs quietly. "And the tears down your cheek is because your eyes are overflowing."

"Oh no!" Zayn begins to cry harder. "There's too much!"

"Zayn." Niall breathes out softly and he hugs him tighter to the point that Zayn probably can't breathe. He presses his lips on his head and he plans to keep it there until Zayn stops. "It's just for a few months." Niall hums. "It's okay."

"Okay." Zayn mutters.

Niall figured it wasn't really okay at all. Zayn isn’t interested in watching the ball drop so New Year's is going to be in bed instead, hoping Zayn would see there's nothing bad coming out of this. They're finally going home like they've always wanted.

"I like your pyjamas tonight." Niall compliments as he looks down. He's wearing another one that Niall bought for him—Spider Man.

"Thank you. They're warm." Zayn curls his toes.

"I hope they are."

"Why don't you wear any?" 

"Too hot. And I like not wearing anything to bed. It just feels nicer." Niall shrugs.

"I just thought you were too lazy to put anything on." Zayn sighs. He sounds okay again. Who would have thought Zayn would actually cry? He's really fitting in with the humans now.

With a minute to spare, Zayn finally decides to join the party downstairs where most of the juice boxes are on the floor, open, squeezed, bitten, and dripping on the floor. 

"I couldn't eat them." Griff shrugs at Niall. 

"I believe in you anyway, Thargriff." Zayn exclaims from where he's planted himself on the couch, wearing a party hat. On his lap were noise makers and the crackers he can twist open and pop confetti out in the air.

"How many more minutes?" Jesy cuddles right beside Zayn, hugging his arm while he remains stoic. 

"Fifteen seconds." Zayn answers. "Fourteen, thirteen..."

Niall jumped in beside Jesy, pulling Griff beside him, and hoping he doesn't collapse over him, seeing how Griff is twice his size. The countdown isn't fun until you've got people to count with you. It isn't fun anymore as it was when they were younger with family yelling down the numbers. It's certainly not fun watching a ball drop on television, but it's been some worldwide tradition he's been following for 17 years now with exceptions of not actually caring at all.

Griff shot right out of his seat, nearly throwing Niall off the couch as he yelled Happy New Year to everyone. Jesy turned to hug Zayn while he cracked the confetti open. One by one, steamers and confetti would explode and all Niall could think about is the mess he has to clean up after this. But he won't cut in between his fun, this is his first new year's and he'll be leaving right after.

Griff takes a long whiff as he embraces Niall. "You smell like oranges. It's nice."

"And you smell like fruit punch."

"It was delicious." 

As the partners switched to Jesy and Griff, Niall crashes beside Zayn where he's covered in confetti and streamers.

"Happy new year." Zayn tells Niall gently, looking at him ever so softly. Between them, Zayn hands him a piece of a metallic confetti paper.

"Thank you." Niall keeps it inside his fist while his fingers flick the confetti off Zayn's hair. There's really a lot on him. He would have to shake like a dog to clean it off of him.

"Is that it?" Niall asks teasingly. He likes watching Zayn's face as he tries to puzzle out what Niall means. It's a little laugh for him, knowing how hard and thoughtful Zayn's process is to decode Niall's language.

"Uh." Zayn hums, holding his knees. "I will give you my hat?"

"No." Niall laughs. "You look swell with it."

He tries to look up at his New Year's hat but it's right on top of his head. "Oh thank you."

"You really don't know, though?" Niall turns his body so he can face Zayn properly and hold his jaw.

"No. I am sorry." Zayn tilts his head into Niall's hand. "Do I have to get you a present?”

Niall leans in, kissing Zayn over his lips. Not expecting him to react as quick, he pushes hard until it feels like he's kissing back too. He's really going to miss Zayn; tears are right behind his eyes, and any minute now, as he thinks more about Zayn and everyone else being millions of years away, it'll just start pouring out of him.

For now he keeps it buried away, and lets his lips carefully fit with Zayn, pushing hard when he nudges back. It's slow for Niall's sake so he can have many last kisses from someone he loves so much before they can leave for what may seem like forever.

"Happy new year's to you too."

"Ohh." Zayn exhales. "What now then?"

"I'm going to bed, and Griff needs to clean the juice boxes on the floor before it leaves a giant sticky mess."

"Okay." Griff groans, heading towards the closet with the swifter. He's always the one to make a mess—most of the time with his food so Niall's pointed out where the cleaning supplies are and he'll get to it.

After cleaning up in the washroom—face all washed and teeth all brushed—Niall isn't the first one in his bed to already be comfortable. Zayn is hugging his elephant on Niall's side of the bed, blanket tucked around him; he's wearing his batman shirt or Niall's shirt in this case.

"I am tired." Zayn turns his body to face Niall. His eyes are barely open. "But, I want to stay up with you."

"You should sleep." Niall slips in, feeling Zayn's thigh resting against his from under the blanket. 

"Niall, I have not been here for so long, but you have made it feel like a lifetime." Zayn lets his eyes rest and his hand subconsciously move to Niall where he holds his forearm tucked under his chin.

"I don't think I've ever had anybody say such nice things." Niall smiles softly into his pillow.

"It makes me happy when you turn all red and smiley." He presses his fingers into Niall's cheek.

"I turn red?" His first instinct is to hold his face.

"Oh it is nothing to be ashamed of."

If he says so. He'll try not to be, especially when it makes him feel warm inside. "Tell me a joke, Zayn." He wanted a way to hear him and let the softness of his voice lull him to sleep.

"Okay." Zayn starts to think for a long time until he finally spills his thoughts out. "Peaches."

That's all he says for the first few seconds. And when more seconds passed by, Niall narrows his eyes as he stares at Zayn.

"What about them?" Niall slots his leg between Zayn's, feeling the warmth from his thighs.

"They are the joke."

Niall starts to cackle quietly already. "That's horrible. I love peaches."

"Me too." Zayn shifts around in his spot, pushing his face into his pillow, still keeping his gaze at Niall.

"You just said they were a joke." Niall snorts quietly.

"But you love them so me too." He shrugs.

"You don't have to love them just 'cause I love them."

"Now, every time I see peaches and smell peaches, I will think of you."

Niall smiles really hard that it reaches the corner of his eyes. "I love you so much."

For what may seem the second time Zayn's burst in excitement, his arm spreads open like he's ready to pull Niall in. "Kiss me, you fool!"

Who cares that it’s a quote from a movie that Niall's never heard of with the chances that Zayn probably made it up? He rolled half his body on top of Zayn until he had him between his lips, kissing him the night away until he remembered that he's going to be leaving. That's when he slowed down and cherished how careful Zayn is kissing him back. He can barely call it hesitant as he hugged him the entire time.

Niall pulled back not too far, aware of Zayn's need to take short breaks in between long kisses. "What are your favourite things about Earth?" 

"The animals are way cuter. Everyone is smaller, things are very colourful, and you, keby." Zayn wraps his arms tighter around Niall's back. "My favourite."

"You're mine." Niall digs his palm down Zayn's shoulder, his way of hugging him back.

"You are what they call aged milk."

"Excuse me?"

"Oh. I meant cheesy, Niall." 

"Sure you did." Niall scoffs. He raises himself off of Zayn, letting his fingers poke at Zayn's nipples and bellybutton as he begins to obnoxiously grumble. "Beep, beep, boop, I'm an alien. Meep moop, beep boop."

"You are the alien." Zayn counters with a hint of annoyance in his voice. He pokes the same spots that Niall poked over, a little harder than he did. "Wah, wah, wah." 

"Humans don't sound like that." Niall huffs, snapping his head away so he can't see Zayn. "And I was very much kidding with you."

Zayn looked at him with ease. "Oh me too. Beep, beep, boop." His pokes over his nipples and belly button were softer and kinder than before. 

Niall thinks he's laughing quietly because his mouth isn't that wide, but he's really loud for someone who said they were going to bed.

He falls back down on Zayn, folding his elbows on his chest. "You're a terrible liar." 

"You are terrible." Zayn replies.

Wow. "Oh my god, Zayn." Niall coughs out squeaking. He's become fairly blunt, Niall can't tolerate the attitude any longer. He hides his face in his elbows as Zayn sifts his fingers through Niall's hair. It feels nice coming from Zayn—the way he presses down his fingers like he's caressing his roots. That was something he never had.

"Niall?" Zayn murmurs. He's kept his face in his elbows for a while now, sounds like he can't even breathe right now and it's worrying him a lot. "I-It was a joke. We were playing, were we not?" His eyebrows start to push together. And eventually when Niall's wiping his face, Zayn could see his skin glistening, his eyelashes wet against his thumb, making him frown possibly to the point he can feel his chest ripping open for the first time.

He was crying. Really crying. Tears smudged his cheeks and made it wet, yet more came down from the corner of his eyes and his gaze was impossible to have. As Zayn tries to get him to look back, Niall leans his head down to avoid the reason that has him breathing sharply.

"You'll come back, right?" Niall sucks in a deep breath so he can calm down. "I'd see you again?"

"Yes." Zayn thumbed the wetness of his cheek. "I will be here with you. I am going to tell everyone about my life on Earth with you. And I willl tell them all about the way you have made me feel so safe."

"You'll be hunted down if you go back." Niall turns his face onto its side. "You'd be killed…”

"You are much more worried than I am, keby." Zayn caresses Niall's arm. "It's okay. I want to come back so I will. Nobody cannot convince me otherwise." And he's proud.

"You have no idea how much I love you." Niall shuffles and moves his elbows over Zayn's chest. He holds Zayn's face and leans down until their lips press together.

"I do not. But I know it." Zayn blinks twice rapidly.

Niall lies back down beside him, shoulders squished together. "If—when you come back, I'll take you to my home country. There's lots of green waiting for you there."

"The Irish lands."

"Ireland." Niall starts to laugh quietly. "And you'll see how the sky meets the sea." It doesn't but exaggeration sure does sell with Zayn. The only thing the sea meets are the isles. 

"How?" Zayn's curiosity begins to peek out that he's trying to sit up and look at Niall at the same time.

"You'll come back and get the answer yourself." Niall grins to himself. He can already see him back on Earth. "Then you'll find out yourself." That's the only way.

* * *

He was always able to do goodbyes without the tears. When he told his parents goodbye, it only ended with long hugs. That's until a few days passed and he was eating dinner alone, almost burned what he had in the oven, and started to cry because he was missing his parents. 

Today, it's the same as Niall watched them move around the house. No luggage, no backpacks, they were just saying goodbye to the kittens and making sure that Niall would be okay. Of course he will be when they come back.

Niall let Griff hug him the longest, only because he remembered when he first approached him and there was this kind and gentle aura from him which happened to be disguised as hilarious and energetic. Jesy got her hug in too, hugged Niall real tight until he literally lost his breath and felt himself gasping for air at the end.

Zayn was the last one. He came downstairs with a long face, not the one he tends to naturally have. This was more somber and Niall could barely look at him. But he had to anyway.

Once Zayn finally found the time to look at Niall, he gets pulled into a hug as well. 

There aren't any spaceships to pick them up nor do they get sucked by some bright flash of light. They're gone just like that, like dust being swept away by the wind. Unlike aliens who came years away, dust swept away by the wind is still visible to the eye. And they were gone just like that—the only proof of aliens living in his home and making contact with him is the remnants that they've left around his home. 

And he is once again left all alone to live in a house with so much rooms but nobody to fill them with. No one else but his friends can even replace the half-foul smell. They went 1 month to 1 week no showering and that was already enough for Niall before he started to bark orders to go shower. He'll have to bark orders at the mirror, tell himself he stinks because he does.

It's the little things in everything that Niall sees life in. From the bananas to the couch to the movies, everything always goes back to the aliens that seem like a memory that seems made up. The longer time passes, the longer that they're there and not here, Niall's close to convincing himself he's made it all up in his mind. 

Maybe he did. He was lonely. He had nobody and the only time that he ever really enjoyed life was when so-called non-existent life forms came to live with him. No after no, they persisted enough without actually trying to live with him. Normal human beings—could they have ever been?

Certainly they could, but they had beautiful things about themselves no human could ever have or be. Many attempts to possibly even have such a positive and loving nature never came to him. So no, they could never be a figment of his imagination. Waiting and waiting, the more he spent waiting on somebody who seems to be a faint taste of what happiness is, the faster it was for him to become numb. 

Numb after many months of waiting of what was supposed to feel temporary, it felt as if it flew by with the many distractions and many moments where he has to accept some things again and again. But they weren't just distractions—they were the ones that kept his mind wrapped around it more than ever. 

From Valentine's Day to April Fool's to Mother's and Father's Day, down to another Christmas holiday alone since the year before, everyone always seemed to celebrate it with somebody but him. 

He misses them at least. That's more than anything he would have done if he hadn't met them. So invasive, so awkward, so abrupt—the spontaneity was just something he never thought he knew he needed until routines came back to lock him in.

It's sad that he's come a whole year back to the same time that they've left, not visiting him once. There's that weird part in his mind saying Zayn's dead after all and Jesy and Griff died trying to protect him. But he starts being selfish, doubting that he could never die without at least telling Niall in some way—a falling star, some a meteor shower, just something to say he's gone so he isn't spent left waiting for someone who doesn't exist anymore. 

But then again, Zayn's the reason why he always looks over his shoulders, grew the patience towards somebody who was never on the same page, accept that bad and awful things in love many not be love at all. Jesy and Griff are the reason why he has cats curling up next to him at 4 in the morning, the reason why he watches old movies that make him warm inside. They're all the same people who Niall knows are coming back.

New Year's. Could be lonely, could be a riot. With Harry, it sometimes is both. Niall's got half a bottle of Hennesy's in his system right now. He's all warm and fuzzy right now, yet still good enough to stand on two feet and try to get his arms around Harry from behind.

"You're not making it home tonight." Harry leans forward until he's carrying Niall on his back.

"Where are you taking me?" Niall whispers huskily. 

"I'm not trying to hook up, Niall." Harry starts to laugh. "I mean it literally. You're trashed." 

"I know." Niall accepts in shame. "I don't want to go home any—no. I think I have to! I have to feed the cats."

"You didn't feed them before you left?" Harry sets Niall down so they can squish together on the couch.

"I forgot."

"They're big now. Like, big. Fat. Squishy. Cute." Harry illustrates with his big hands.

"I'm drunk, but can you at least form sentences?" Niall grumbles. "You sound like those people on four square who make the same noises to make a song. Except... You're all 4 people."

"Can I be the ones wearing the blue leotards?"

Niall's already got a vivid imagination and the image is squared in his brain. "They're creepy, Harry."

"You can't go home yet. There's a minute until countdown and you need someone to kiss."

Niall turns his head away, looking at the beer that the girl beside him is holding. "Harry, I don't really wanna do this." 

"It's been a year. And I say this as a friend—but they're not coming back." Harry sounds like he cares, doesn't mean he really does to be saying these things to him now. Maybe it's what he needs. "You've been waiting for a really long time. I just don't want you to have these expectations that he will when there's a chance that he won't be coming back. That's not your fault at all."

"I was never blaming myself." Zayn never gave him the opportunity to anyway. He wouldn't. And as Jesy mentioned, a kiss is just a kiss—like some sort of science experiment. So he'll experiment. "Hard to even want to kiss someone when everyone around you isn't your type."

Harry's eyes lit up like morning. He got up so fast, he almost pushed Niall off the couch. "If I can find my friend, I think you'd hit it off."

"You didn't plan this well. There's thirty seconds." Niall was fine without a new year's kiss. It's just a silly romantic thing people do to be cheesy about starting a new year with the person they love. Often times, it has no meaning and generates no feeling.

Besides, Harry has a friend, who Niall doesn't know? He always meets Harry's friend, whether or not they'll see each other once or never again. Through hallways and small crowds, Niall's wrist is in Harry's hand, being dragged like a mother in a mall. 

Many faces around in such an angle, he would think it's Zayn. And his heart would jump until he catches on the fact that Zayn would never drink beer, he wouldn't be smiling so big, or laugh so loud. Zayn did neither of those things but he can always tell how happy or impressed he is from the way he always sticks by so close.

The thing is, he's both drunk and missing somebody who's always in his mind. A bad combination and recipe for sad nights, even when he tries not to be. Harry's friend could be great, maybe not. At least it's somebody Harry knows well enough to be confident that Niall will like them too, worth the effort to look for with only a few seconds left.

They're on the second floor where the living room is—so many floors in this place. "I can't find them. This is so dumb." 

"Happy New Year!" The entire house cheered out of nowhere and Niall nearly blocked out his ears.

Harry pulls Niall into a hug which is better than any kiss from a stranger. 

"I'm sorry." Harry sighs. "I thought they were going to be here. They were supposed to wait.”

"What for?" Niall rests his head against Harry. "I didn't wanna do it anyway."

"Well," Harry scoffs, letting his arms unwrap before he can push Niall away from him. He nearly falls back into the wall just in time for Harry to try and hold his hand and hold him up. "I won't do anything for you again."

Niall rolls his eyes, groaning at him. "I'm tired, Harry. Can I sit?"

Harry puts an arm around Niall's shoulder, leading him to the couch in front of the T.V.—where all the other drunks and tired people are chilling. "This is why you aren't making it home." 

He can if he tries. His house is 15 minutes away by walking so he'll be okay as long as he doesn't fall in some ditch or a manhole.

Harry sits him beside a man whose got his hand folded under his head, napping uncomfortably on the armrest. Niall's trying his best to keep his eyes open but they're just so heavy and low. The funny thing is, the couch is pretty spacious and Harry pushed him down right next to someone knocked out. 

"Alright. Stay here." Harry tells him slowly. 

As soon as Harry leaves, Niall gets up from his spot and slams right back down on a new spot right at the other end of the couch. There's some gross leather air that seeped out as he sat down but at least he can recline his seat. The couch shook and quaked every time he moved and shifted. Which is a lot.

"Ow." The guy in the other end sat up, groggy and disgruntled. "Stop it, Niall."

"Sorry." Niall mutters, shooting a quick glance at the guy staring at him. He has radioactive green tips going through his lengthy undercut hair. "Not my fault this couch—" 

His words disappear at the second glance when he's given the most unimpressed look in his life—one full of distaste and annoyance. He wouldn't have expected otherwise.

"Zayn? Or am I… Hallucinating?" Niall shot up from the couch. He should be looking at his eyes but the hair is what has him speechless right now. Zayn never liked having it cut. Now, he’s got a new style and it’s partly green—his favourite colour.

"Hello, keby." Zayn greets him nonchalantly, standing up in front of him like so. "I am kicked out of my planet again." He croons quietly.

"What?" Niall breathes out. He was taking deep breaths right now, putting his hand on Zayn's cheek to make sure he isn't seeing hallucinations or illusions. Soft and special as always, Zayn leans into it and Niall takes a step closer to hold both sides of his face.

"Just making a joke." Zayn blinks. "I really came back here for you, my bright alien friend."

"For me?" Niall starts to laugh and sob all at the same time, caressing Zayn's face until he closes the space between them with a hard hug. Arms wrapped around his torso, Zayn melts into it and brings his arms around his waist.

"Yes. I miss you and love you so much." Zayn squeezes a lot hard than he already is. "Could not be more sad that my favourite star was not always around to make happy."

Each time Zayn said something, Niall's heart would twist and he'd hug so much tighter that he's able to hear Zayn strain. He's crying and he can't breath; it's the alcohol's fault.

"Niall!" Zayn exclaims when Niall jumps and wraps his legs around Zayn, hugging him tighter every possible way. Maybe he shouldn't have done it, seeing how Zayn wasn't expecting to be wrapped around like that. He crashes back down on the couch, Niall straddling him over his lap—still got his arms around Zayn's neck.

"I missed you too. Very much." Niall presses his face against Zayn's head, breathing into his neck. He takes a deep breath to control himself, bite his lip down until they were quavering anymore. He doesn't even care if people are watching them, wondering why Niall's wrapped around someone for five minutes now.

"You know what irony is?" Niall pulls back to look at Zayn, hold his face close against his.

"Yes. No time to explain but yes." Zayn nods, holding Niall's waist. He might be trying to sway him left and right. It's cute, but he's not budging—Niall wants to stay like this for a very long time.

"Well then, I find it ironic that the first time I met you, it was at a party. And now that you're back, I'm meeting you at one again, even when you really dislike them." He laughs quietly. Nobody could understand him unless they're Zayn himself. His voice is so quiet, down to the level of sharing secrets.

"It helped because I got lost and lots of people were coming here. I was only curious." Just like the first time he ended up on campus grounds, found Niall in that bar. "Then I saw Harry, and he said for me to wait, and then I got really tired."

"You're the one he was looking for." Niall grimaces. "To introduce me to you."

"But I already know you." Zayn's confused. "You are Niall Horan, the captain of the football team."

"I think he was trying to surprise me." Niall laughs. 

"Well, he took too long." Zayn pouts, looking grumpy as ever. It made Niall laugh. "I could not find you if I was supposed to stand all alone on one spot."

"Where is Jesy and Griff?" Niall starts to look around. They're never far away from the prince.

"Back on Iskalag Karrocerise. They said hi." Zayn blinks three times, one right after the other. "But I am here solely to declare my undying love to you. And see Ireland, as well as be with you and take care of our kitty cats. Also so I can learn more about you little yutz called humans. But—" He clears his throat and stares at Niall intensely. "Niall, my human friend, I love you. It is undying because I said so and I really really mean it. I am also immortal."

Then Zayn looks away, nodding his head to the music playing downstairs. Niall stares blankly, pursing his lips out before he decides to finally ask him. "Is that it?"

"Yes. Don't you like it, keby?" Zayn croons and tilts his head until his shoulder is resting from under. He figures it's the right time to do it. He always told him he loved him but he has to make sure Niall knows it's undying. If he didn't, then Niall would just think he only loves him for a minute.

Niall's eyes suddenly lit up like Christmas before he smashed their lips together, kissing him tightly. "I love it!" He mumbles with his lips stuck in between, kissing him until he can taste the juice he had. Peach. 

From all the drinks he had consumed tonight, Niall pressed the side of his face against Zayn—feeling his nose and lips pressed right on his skin. If Niall was supposed to make another move on Zayn, it didn't involve him nearly falling asleep against his face.

"Niall?" Zayn mutters against his cheek. "I cannot see."

"M'drunk and I miss you." Niall starts to slur. "I'm sorry." 

"Home time, home time." Zayn chants quietly.

"Sentences, Zayn." Niall mutters in irritation.

"Home time is a good good time." Zayn croons again, picking Niall up from the back of his knees and holding him up with his arms.

It was like universally, everyone knew to move away from Zayn and open the door for him and met Harry near the entrance. He said thank you to everyone while Niall muttered into his shoulders, thinking they were having a conversation. 

Earth still smells very bad but Zayn can handle living in a smelly planet to be with Niall who smells really sour right now. It's the beers. He should drink the fruit nectars instead—they smell and taste better. That excludes the guava, reminding Zayn of a wild animal back home that makes him itch. 

He never realized it, the houses around the neighbourhood look the same. But there's only one flower bush outside with yellow and purple flowers—Mrs. Smith. 

"Home time is a good good time." Zayn continues to chant quietly. That's all he wanted to do—missing the warmth and comfort of his bed. Or Niall's bed. Both are good.

Harry forked and went home while Zayn continued to walk back with Niall in his arms—something he's never done before. In his entire lifetime, he always thought Niall would be carrying him instead. This is fun too. He can do this all night long. 

Niall hums a song as he looks around, seeing his legs hanging in the air, Zayn carrying him effortlessly. He looks up at him before he rests his forehead on his neck, sliding his arm over the other side. He's wearing his green hoodie, the one he took from him the first night, smelling more like Zayn than it smelled like him when he wore it.

If there's one thing Niall wants to believe, it's that Zayn came back just to learn more about Earth, much less for his life. Unless, Zayn is convinced Niall's got him safe and sound and away from danger, then he's wrong. He can't keep Zayn safe from everything, but Niall's going to try. He's going to try his damn hardest because his friends trust him to, Zayn himself trusts him too, and Niall just loves him way too much to see him anything but happy.

"Go green like meee—" Zayn says with glee.

"No." Niall replies and Zayn quickly scowls. He kisses Zayn on his cheek and he can feel him leaning into it, his expression slowly fading away. "One green head is good enough for me."

"That is me?" Zayn asks.

"That's you." Niall assures him with a kiss on his cheek.

In an incredible time of 60 unnecessarily minutes, thanks to Zayn who only wanted to carry Niall for only a little while longer—an overstatement of the century—they finally made it home.

**Author's Note:**

> thanks for reading!! i loved writing this so much i might even write little drabbles about them. anyway, comments/kudos appreciated yall!
> 
> talk to me: niallstaurusgf.tumblr.com


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